PillowVoices: Dance Through Time
Jacob's Pillow Archives
PillowVoices: Dance Through Time brings listeners closer to notable dance artists connected with Jacob's Pillow, from 1933 to today. Each piece exemplifies Jacob's Pillow's mission to 'support dance creation, presentation, education, and preservation; and to engage and deepen public appreciation and support for dance' by utilizing archival recordings brought to life in the personal stories and narration of current thought-leaders and scholars. Jacob's Pillow, lauded by The New York Times as "the dance center of the nation," is a National Historic Landmark, a recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, and home to America’s longest-running international dance festival, located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.
PillowVoices is directed and produced by Jennifer Edwards. Ellis Rovin and James Sleeman are our composers and engineers. Music for the opening is by J.S. Bach and the closing theme is by Jess Meeker, both performed by Meeker. Content curator is Norton Owen, and associate curator is Patsy Gay.
PillowVoices is directed and produced by Jennifer Edwards. Ellis Rovin and James Sleeman are our composers and engineers. Music for the opening is by J.S. Bach and the closing theme is by Jess Meeker, both performed by Meeker. Content curator is Norton Owen, and associate curator is Patsy Gay.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 26, 2022 • 28min
Regional Ballet: Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet
Pillow Scholar Nancy Wozny explores the history of regional ballet in America through conversations and stories of three distinct ballet companies. Featured are artists with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Houston Ballet - three companies who came together here in 2021 for a program called 'Ballet Coast to Coast.'Additional Resources: Read - Point Spread: The Marvel of Regional Ballet, by Nancy WoznyWatch - (clip) Pacific Northwest Ballet, Second to LastWatch - (clip) Houston Ballet, Reflections Watch - (clip) Boston Ballet, Home Studies
Feb 26, 2022 • 24min
Lisa Niedermeyer Revisits Doug Elkins’ Fräulein Maria
As an artist, technologist, and former dancer with Doug Elkins and Friends, Lisa Niedermeyer reflects on her time with the company and her embodied memories of performing in Fräulein Maria, the uproarious and joyful dance based on The Sound of Music. We also hear from Elkins himself, recorded during two different Pillow engagements.https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/doug-elkins-and-friends/fraulein-maria/
Jan 29, 2022 • 16min
Dancerly Creativity and Technological Innovation
Hosted by Jacob's Pillow Associate Archivist Patsy Gay, this episode explores the intersection of dance and technology, diving into both history and current practice. Through the voices and perspectives of Marjani Forté-Saunders, Sydney Skybetter, Brian Brooks, Lily Baldwin, and Ilya Vidrin, we hear how technology can both hinder and enforce a dancer's embodied awareness.
Dec 18, 2021 • 19min
Remembering Blondell Cummings, with Paloma McGregor
Paloma McGregor remembers the life, work, and legacy of Blondell Cummings. McGregor frames this exploration through Cummings' dance work titled "Chicken Soup", designated as an American Masterpiece by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2006.https://www.dancemagazine.com/remembering-blondell-cummings-1944-2015/https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/blondell-cummings/chicken-soup/https://www.xartistsbooks.com/books/blondellcummings
Nov 20, 2021 • 21min
Dance On Screen
PillowVoices composer and audio engineer Ellis Rovin ruminates on some of the ways that dance has been seen on film, drawing upon a PillowTalk by David Gere and considering examples from Fred Astaire to Merce Cunningham. Special thanks to New England Public Media, for their support of this episode of PillowVoices.
Oct 30, 2021 • 24min
Focus the Lights: On Dance and the Field, with Adrian Madison Cario
Adrian Madison Cario hosts this episode on the relationship between lighting design and dance, featuring some of the 20th century's most prominent designers—Tom Skelton, Beverly Emmons, Jennifer Tipton, and Mark Stanley. Now the CEO of San Francisco's Minnesota Street Project, Cario draws upon their beginnings in lighting design to illuminate different perspectives on design, collaboration, and building a world on stage.Special thanks to New England Public Media, for their support of this episode of PillowVoices.
Sep 25, 2021 • 37min
CONTRA-TIEMPO: A Talk with Ana Maria Alvarez and Maura Keefe
We join Pillow Scholar Maura Keefe in conversation with award-winning Ana Maria Alvarez, the founder of CONTRA-TIEMPO, a multilingual Los-Angeles-based activist performing company dedicated to transforming the world through dance. This is a recast of a PillowTalk presented live on July 11, 2021. Special thanks to New England Public Media, for their support of this episode of PillowVoices.
Aug 28, 2021 • 46min
The History of Jazz Dance: Melanie George and LaTasha Barnes
In this episode we share a PillowTalk that took place at Jacob's Pillow on August 15, 2021. Pillow Scholar and Associate Curator Melanie George hosts this conversation with a foremost tradition-bearer of Black American social dance, LaTasha Barnes. Through her work, The Jazz Continuum, Barnes places jazz dance in the context of House, Hip-Hop, Waacking, and Lindy Hop. LaTasha Barnes is an internationally-recognized and award-winning dancer, choreographer, educator, performer, and ambassador of culture. She has been honored to be a frequent collaborator with Dorrance Dance, Ephrat Asherie Dance, Ladies of Hip-Hop, and Caleb Teicher & Company.Special thanks to New England Public Media for their support of this episode of PillowVoices.
Jul 31, 2021 • 35min
Remembering Anna Halprin
In this episode hosted by Jennifer Edwards, we celebrate the life, work, and impact of Anna Halprin (1920-2021). A visionary force in both dance and healing, Halprin played a crucial role in the evolution of post-modern dance and developing ethical social practice through art. We learn about Halprin's work from scholars Ninotchka Bennahum and Wendy Perron, from Halprin biographer Janice Ross, and from Anna Halprin herself.Special thanks to New England Public Media for their support of this episode of PillowVoices.*Audio note: in this episode, Ellis Rovin was our composer and editor; our engineer was Adam BW
Jun 26, 2021 • 26min
Wendy Perron on Grand Union: Democracy or Anarchy?
Dance writer Wendy Perron, a former associate director of Jacob's Pillow, explores Grand Union, a maverick 1970s improvisation group based in downtown New York. Perron tells their story through the voices of four key members: Yvonne Rainer, Steve Paxton, Trisha Brown, and David Gordon.Special thanks to New England Public Media, for their support of this episode of PillowVoices.
