Andy Jacobs' Pillow Debut

Everyone on the faculty at Impulse Dance Center in Natick, MA is extremely proud of Andy Jacobs. He was an incredibly enthusiastic student with tremendous potential who performed in both the Connecting Point Dance Company as well as TAProject.  None of us were surprised that he was scooped up by two professional companies within days of earning his BA in Dance this year. We invited him to write about the his debut at Jacob's Pillow in August and to give us a glimpse into the start of what is sure to be a very promising career.

by Andy Jacobs

Photo Credit: Christopher Duggan
Courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow Dance

It’s weird, I didn’t think I’d be where I am today after my college graduation. First off, when I started my freshman year at Adelphi, my initial goal of being a dance major was to improve my technique more and audition to be one of Lady GaGa’s back-up dancers. It wasn’t until sophomore year that I had a sudden change in direction, when I had the privilege of being cast in Paul Taylor’s Esplanade and got to work with his second company, Taylor 2, and its artistic director and former Taylor Company member, Ruth Andrien. Since working with them, my eyes and mind were opened to what’s really out there in the dance world. Since then I’ve gathered more interest in the artistic side of the dance world and not just the commercial side. Being a back-up dancer for Lady GaGa would be great and I still have it on my audition list, but right now I’m on a different path in my career.


Today I’m a dancer for two NYC based dance companies, the Mazzini Dance Collective (who’s artistic director and choreographer, Annmaria Mazzini, is a retired Paul Taylor dancer.) and the Amy Marshall Dance Company (who’s artistic director and choreographer, Amy Marshall, is a former Taylor 2 company member.) This summer was my premiere with both companies. I traveled to Allentown, Pennsylvania to perform in the Allentown Freakout Fringe Festival with MDC. I also traveled to Becket, Massachusetts to perform at the Jacob’s Pillow Festival on the Inside/Out stage with AMDC.


This was first time ever being at Jacob’s Pillow and I have to say it was one of the richest experiences I’ve ever had so far in my dancing career. Knowing that we performing on the new stage was such a plus, it was sprung, had bars on the sides and back of the stage, and had one of the best back drops I’ve ever seen. We were told that half the stage was slippery and the other half was a bit sticky cause of the tree sap, but it honestly didn’t phase me or any of the other company members. All we could do was get our warm up gear on and make our way to the stage for a run through.


That afternoon we performed two of Amy Marshall’s original pieces, Riding the Purple Twilight and Dvija. We were told that 700 people were in the audience and that only pumped us more to go above and beyond. One thing that I specifically remember is that during the final section of Dvija the sun was beginning to set and the rays were shining through the trees. That literally completed the picture of what we were performing on that stage that evening. Having that element of nature and surprise was so fulfilling and perfect for the dancers' spirit and the audience's eye. At the end of the performances there was a Q&A session with the choreographer and company. One person asked “Because of the setting of the stage and being outdoors, does that change the interpretation of the movement?” I wanted to answer that question, so Amy handed me the mic and I responded with, “It definitely frees the movement more with being outside. You don’t have the three walls surrounding you, like you would in a theater. By having all this open space you’re able to broaden and expand the movement to a much higher level!”

Upcoming Events

UPCOMING EVENTS 

by Aisha Cruise

July is the time of cookouts, fireworks, and fabulous outdoor dance.  Get out and see some of these performances!

June 15- August 23 

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

Jacob's Pillow is in full swing, and with performances Wednesday through Sunday every week this summer, we're spoiled for choice with amazing companies.  So here are some of the better kept secrets about performances at the Pillow.

Inside/Out

The Inside/Out series takes place on the Henry J. Leir stage Wednesday-Saturday at 6:15pm every week of the festival, and it is completely FREE!  In case of inclement weather, the event is moved to a small indoor performance space, so be sure to call ahead if it looks like rain.  

Under 35 Fridays

At every Friday performance, a limited number of tickets are sold to individuals under 35 for just $19.  Tickets sell out fast, so if there's something you're dying to see, call the box office to reserve your tickets ASAP!

July 6th @ 8pm
"Transitions" - An Evening of Tap Dance
Hey New York!  Don't miss another chance to see the amazing Ryan Casey along with Kelly Kaleta and a host of lovely ladies at the Marjorie S. Dean Little Theatre!

July 8th-13th
Tap City
It's that time of year again when tap dancing takes over New York City!  There are tons of events from boat rides to talks to performances for you to take in.  You might even catch our own Nicole Harris tapping in Times Square on Saturday, July 13th!

July 25th - August 3rd
Tap the Yard 2
Join Michelle Dorrance, Derick Grant, Jason Samuels Smith, David Parker and so many more wonderful rhythm makers on Martha's Vinyard!

And my personal recomendations for concerts at the Pillow:

July 3-6 @ 8pm, July 6 & 7@ 2pm

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

July 10- 13 @ 8pm, July 13-14 @ 2pm

Companhia Urbana de Danca

July 24-27 @ 8pm, July 27 & 28 @ 2pm

L-E-V

July 17 @ 7pm

Reach Outdoor Performance

The Reach program is putting on a totally free outdoor performance, featuring intergenerational dancers made up of professionals and students from Boston University and teens from Cambridge and Boston. Check it out!

July 29 - Aug 1

BOOMTOWN Festival

Multicultural Arts Center, Cambridge

Monkeyhouse loves the BOOMTOWN Festival! We've done interactive performances and workshops at BOOMTOWN in the past, and we're excited to be back again this year!  You can come join the workshop from 5:30-6:30 on July 30 and 31, and be sure to check out the hip hop workshop on Monday the 29, Tango Concert on Tuesday the 30, and DiverseCity Dance Party with MetaMovements on Thursday August 1. 

Do you have an upcoming event you think our folks would like?  Click here to contact Aisha!

Inside/Out Anew

by karen Krolak

Ok, I am hankering for vacation time so I can hotfoot it out to Becket and bask on the benches of the new Inside/Out stage. As further incentive, this summer's Inside/Out line up makes me drool. I am especially excited that two former classmates from Northwestern University, Julia Rhoads of Lucky Plush and Amanda Selwyn of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater, will be dancing there this summer.

In fact, let's start humming It's a Small World After All and meditate for a moment on how this stage supports the dance ecosystem. For example, Boston's Urbanity Dance will also be bounding about Inside/Out in August. Urbanity recently presented a piece choreographed by Ryan Casey, who was just named as one of Monkeyhouse's Bloggers-in-Residence. As you may remember from his post last summer, Ryan performed at Inside/Out as part of the first Tap program at the Pillow. Isn't it humbling and inspiring to consider how many people have launched their careers from Inside/Out's platform and to realize how many people teamed up to breathe new life into this stage?

So until I can sneak out to the Berkshires, please, please, please, feel free to chime in with your comments, pictures, or opinions about your experiences at new stage either as a performer or an audience member.

Ryan Casey & A Reason to Celebrate

HOORAY! Jacob's Pillow raised $150,000 to Save the Inside/Out stage this summer. That's right, they raised $50,000 more than their goal. We will finish up our series on the efforts to preserve this landmark over the next few days with some posts about how this funding will be used. To celebrate today, however, Monkeyhouse asked the ever eloquent Ryan Casey, to talk about his experience performing at Inside/Out with the School at Jacob's Pillow's first Tap Program.

by Ryan Casey
As a new student of The School at Jacob's Pillow, I was told that I would have the privilege of performing on a stage on which decades of legendary artists had sprinkled their "dust." Tap dancers, of course, leave a literal dust of their own, but as the first group of tappers studying at the School, we had the added honor of leaving dust that would hopefully serve as the foundation for serious tap education at the Pillow in the future. The Inside/Out stage was the perfect place to perform as a culmination of our intensive studies: it is a formal stage, yet intimate; the outdoor setting brings the audience and performers together in one great creative space; the natural setting reminds us that we are all a part of something much greater than ourselves, just as we are dancers participating in a rich tradition; and it encompasses the nature - literally and figuratively - of where and how we have been studying, enjoying the great outdoors and the beauty of the dance mecca that surrounds us. I am proud and thrilled to have left some of my own dust on that stage, to have participated in a great tradition of sharing, connecting, and loving dance. To preserve the stage is not just to preserve all of that dust and the emotions and memories it disseminates when stirred up, but to allow future generations of gifted, dedicated, passionate dancers to continue this wonderful tradition - and stir up a real dust storm in the Berkshires.

Photo Credit: The School at Jacob’s Pillow Tap Program at Inside/Out; photo Kristi Pitsch

Shannon Sullivan Discusses Her Inside/Out Experience

by karen Krolak

During the school year, I usually sneak in a few minutes to chat with Shannon Sullivan each Monday at Impulse Dance Center. Shannon is the Artistic Director of TAProject, an outstanding teen tap ensemble at Impulse, and she teaches the majority of tap classes at the studio. I love listening to her shuffle warm ups upstairs as I begin my modern classes. When Monkeyhouse moved our office into Springstep, I was delighted to discover that we would occasionally bump into each other before her Thursday night classes there. Her infectious attitude gave me the courage to try tap in 2008. In fact, if it didn't conflict with Your Just Desserts, I would sampling her adult class at Springstep this week.

When Connect 2 Choreography began the Save the Stage series, I remembered that Shannon had performed at Jacob's Pillow's Inside/Out stage in 2009. Knowing that the Pillow had their first tap intensive this year, I thought it would be relevant to get a tapper's perspective on the significance of this stage.

karen Krolak: When you danced at Inside/Out you were working with a relatively new company called the Commonwealth Tap Collective. What prompted you to form Commonwealth Tap Collective and how has the group evolved?
Shannon Sullivan: The Commonwealth Tap Collective is comprised of Suzanne Bouffard, Jill Braverman, Stefanie Weber and myself. We initially came together in the summer of 2008 as a group of artists who each had their own voice and vision for choreography. The group provided a medium for each of us to put work on each other and then have that work performed. Although we are currently not meeting on a regular basis, the members of the Commonwealth Tap Collective continue to create and perform outside of the group.

kK: Last summer there was so much rain and I know that it poured on the day of your performance. Did they cancel or postpone your appearance?
SS: Nope, we danced in a tent on the Great Lawn.

kK: Were there many people who were willing to watch an outdoor show on such a soggy day?
SS: Yes, and they responded favorably to our performance. From a performer’s standpoint, they were supportive, interested and engaged.

kK: That's great. So, do you think it is important to preserve Inside/Out? If so, why?
SS: I do think it’s important to preserve this stage because it’s wonderful and quite special to have a “less formal” space where both new or emerging artists as well as well-established artists can perform. The stage also provides a cost efficient place for people and families who may otherwise not be able to afford live music and dance to be able to experience these wonderful art forms.Finally, the Inside/Out Stage provides audiences with a beautiful venue that fosters education and audience involvement through their question and answer sessions following each performance.

kK: Thanks Shannon! I am excited to see you at the TAProject auditions at Impulse Dance Center on September 11th. Best of luck with Sampler Week at Springstep.

Email Interview with Melissa Thodos (Part 3 of the Save the Stage Series)

by karen Krolak

One of my first teaching gigs was at Northwestern University for the National High School Institute, whose students are often referred to as the Cherubs. Melissa Thodos was one of the other faculty members there and I remember envying her athletic power and her gymnastic vocabulary. I moved out to Boston at the end of that summer. While I manage to bounce into town for a few performances by friends each year, I have yet to catch one by Melissa's company. When I discovered that she would be closing out the Inside/Out season, I thought it would be great to catch up with her and to include her interview in our Save the Stage series. As of the last report I had heard, Jacob's Pillow only needs to raise $7000 to match their Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund Grant.

kK: Chicago is still feels like my artistic home and it will always be one of my favorite cities for dance. What are your thoughts on being an artist there?

MT: The dance community in Chicago is an immensely rich one. Chicago sports 90 dance companies of all sizes and genres. It is a wonderful city for an organization to be based and a great city for dancers to live and to grow with so many options for training and professional opportunities.

kK: The Joffery Ballet relocated to Chicago right around the time that I headed out to Boston. I heard that many smaller companies were concerned about how that might influence the funding landscape. How do you feel about their presence there?

MT: I love the fact that the Joffrey Ballet made its home in Chicago over a decade ago. I had the opportunity to become friends with the late co-Founder and Artistic Director, Gerald Arpino, and the company truly captures the innovative essence of the American voice in ballet. We just performed with Hubbard Street and the Joffrey Ballet at the Harris Theater in Chicago last Saturday.

kK: Oh, I am glad that you mentioned Hubbard Street. Can you describe them for our readers?

MT: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, a company founded in Chicago, brings many beautiful and innovative creations by international choreographic voices to our city under the wonderful artistic direction of Glenn Edgerton. They are performing later in the same evening that we are at Jacob's Pillow. We really enjoy working with our colleagues in our community.

kK: Which other companies or choreographers would you recommend to people visiting Chicago?

MT: Julia Rhoads has an immensely innovative company titled Lucky Plush as does Margi Cole of the Dance COLEctive. And, there are many many others from Billy Siegenfeld’s captivating Jump Rhythm Jazz Project to Libby Komaiko’s fantastic Ensemble Espanol.

kK: Yes, I truly miss Julia Rhoads and Billy Siegenfeld and I wish that I was able to attend their performances more often. I did hear a rumor though, that someone from Jump Rhythm Jazz Project will be teaching in the Boston area soon. Just talking to you makes me a little homesick for Chicago. It is unfortunate that Monkeyhouse will be presenting a new quartet at the Massachusetts Dance Festival tomorrow night as I would love to see your company. Is this your first appearance at the Pillow?

MT: This is our second time performing at Jacob’s Pillow. Our first time was last year and we are delighted to be closing the festival this year.

kK: I assume that you have heard about the efforts to preserve and improve the Inside/Out stage. Since you were there last year, what do you think makes the stage so special?

MT: Inside/Out is valuable because it is free to the public. Besides providing artists and companies the important opportunity to have their work presented, growing new audiences is critical to the art form.

kK: I totally agree. So since I won't be able to be there, can you tell me about the pieces you will present?

MT: Our program will open with a work that I created titled Cascade. It was commissioned by the Ravinia Festival in Chicago and I was given the theme of water by the presenter to be the inspiration of the work. I had the flexibility of choosing the composer and selected music by Ravel. Opening our concert at Jacob’s Pillow with this work based on the natural properties of the flow of water, seemed like a great fit given the organic beauty of the environment in the Berkshires.

kK: That does sound like a wonderful choice for Inside/Out's bucolic backdrop. What else is on the program?

MT: Two other works are created by Thodos Dance Chicago Ensemble members. In order to be a part of Thodos Dance Chicago (TDC), an artist needs to posses a talent and passion for choreography and teaching in addition to performance. TDC ensemble member, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, was the grand prize winner of the Chicago A.W.A.R.D show sponsored by the Joyce Theater Foundation. We are presenting an innovative work of hers titled Architecture: Splintered and Cracked. This work premiered in Thodos Dance Chicago’s annual choreography performance series, New Dances, and is inspired by the idea of architecture and building walls. Ensemble members, Mollie Mock and Jeremy Blair, collaborated with our resident sound designer, John Nevin, to create the rhythmic and sensual work, Reflect. Reflect also premiered in the New Dances series. In it a solo character views parts of her past and present to come to terms with her future. Closing our program is Quieting The Clock, a brand new work by Chicago collaborators Francisco Avina and Stephanie Martinez . It addresses the passage of time and it’s ominous inevitability and continuum and TDC will premiere it here at Jacob’s Pillow.

kK: Well, I hope you enjoy your appearance at Inside/Out. Thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions for me.

MT: Great to hear from you.

Thodos Dance Chicago

August 28, 2010 • Inside/Out • Saturday, 6:15

For more information about Thodos Dance Chicago and it’s performances , projects classes and workshops please visit www.thodosdancechicago.org

Ashley Chandler interviews Amy Marshall (Part 2 in the Save the Stage series)

by Ashley Chandler

(Part 2 in our Save the Stage series exploring people's experiences at Inside/Out at Jacob's Pillow.)

Amy Marshall Dance Company (AMDC) from New York will be hitting the Inside/Out stage this Thursday August 19. I have had the opportunity of studying with the company at both the Winter and Summer 2010 intensives and have become enthralled by their commitment and passion for Amy’s work. Amy Marshall, the artistic director and choreographer, was kind enough to take the time to answer some questions about the work and upcoming performance. Here is what she had to say:

Ashley Chandler: Have you ever presented at the Pillow on Inisde/Out before?

Amy Marshall: No, my company has never performed at Inside/Out. However, I did perform on it with Taylor2 back in 1996, I believe. I also attended Jacob's Pillow as a student of the modern program with Milton Myers and David Parsons back in 1988 which was my first introduction to modern dance.

AC: Which pieces will the company present there?

AM: AMDC will be showing two works: Vortex: A story of transcending limitations to open the self to inner power. Set to music by Rejendra Pressana, this work takes shows a ritualistic process of becoming part of a powerful group. And English Suite: a classically-based dance full of sweet nuances, set to music by H.H. Parry. In five sections, the piece presents a joyous summer season blooming with the vibrancy of life.

AC: Finally, what do you think about the efforts to preserve the Inside/Out stage?

AM: I think it is extremely important to save this stage and every stage. The Pillow has been such a huge force in promoting modern dance as well as all styles of dance. The more places there are to perform the more chances dancers have to dance as well as audiences to see dance. In this day and age where so much of our attention has turned to media, I feel it is integral that we keep as many stages thriving, especially ones which already have a dance audience such as the Inside/Out stage.

Amy Marshall Dance Company will be presented

at 6:15PM

August 19, 2010

www.jacobspillow.org

To learn more about the campaign to Save the Inside/Out stage, click here. Thanks to everyone who has already donated, the Pillow has raised
$80,000!

They still need $20,000 more to match
their Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Grant.

Katherine Richardson chats about kerPlunk's appearence at Inside/Out

by karen Krolak

I have raved about Jacob's Pillow in several of Connect 2 Choreography's posts. When Monkeyhouse heard about their efforts to save the Inside/Out stage, we decided to interview people about the importance of this historic dance landmark. Our series begins with Katherine Richardson, Artistic Director of kerPlunk. Although kerPlunk was busy preparing for their debut at the Pillow on the Inside/Out stage tonight, Katherine managed to find enough time to answer all my email questions.

Having missed kerPlunk's appearance at the Cool New York Dance Festival this winter, I wish that I could get out to see this show but Monkeyhouse is knee deep in preparations for the Massachusetts Dance Festival. If you are in the Berkshires and able to attend today, please send us feedback on how it goes.


karen Krolak: So, how long have you been choreographing?
Katherine Richardson: I have been choreographing for the past five years and formed kerPlunk dance in January 2010. I had already been creating my own work for several years in Philadelphia before I moved to New York City. As a dancer I have worked with several companies and freelance choreographers.

kK: Wow, that was right before the 2010 Cool New York Dance Festival. Will you be presenting the same piece at Jacob's Pillow this week?
KR: Yes, and then some. At White Wave’s Cool New York Festival, kerPlunk dance presented “Scapes”, which is the second section of a two-part piece entitled Fixed Observations. Festivals such as Cool New York are wonderful for getting your work seen, but their time constraints limit how much repertory can be shown. We are very fortunate that Jacob’s Pillow gives us the opportunity to present the full 21 minutes of the work, which premiered at the Painted Bride Theater in Philadelphia, PA for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in 2009.

kK: Will you be featuring other works tonight as well?
KR: Aside from Fixed Observations, which will be closing the show, we will also be presenting two premieres: Redirected Entropy, originally commissioned by the Hartford Ballet Company in Maryland for their 2010 season, and the in betweens, an excerpt of a work-in-progress to Stravinsky’s Pulcinella. the in betweens is in collaboration with the Atlantic Brass Quintet to go on tour in 2012.

kK: I was very pleased when I read that a number of kerPlunk's company members also dance for Amanda Selwyn who was in my choreography classes at Northwestern University. Oddly enough, the last time I saw her was at the Choreographers' Lab at Jacob's Pillow in 2008. Did you meet all of your company members at her rehearsals?
KR: It just so happened that at some point some of us had danced or do dance with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater. For the majority of the company members, mostly everyone had known each other from various walks of life such as workshops, other performance projects, auditions, and college. I’ve personally known one of my dancers since middle school. It’s interesting that a good portion of us did end up working together just as I was starting to lay the groundwork for the company.

kK: That is rather serendipitious. How do you feel that her work has influenced yours?
KR: Although her aesthetics differ from my own as a director and choreographer, the collaborative atmosphere she uses during the rehearsal process helped re-awaken my passion for choreography.

kK: I know that Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater performed at Inside/Out stage last summer. What was that experience like for you? Did it encourage you to apply to be included in the 2010 season or was that something that you were already planning?
KR: The performance on the Inside/ Out stage was one that I will never forget. The open air was invigorating, the audience so appreciative, and the staff a pleasure to work with. There is something really special about the space, the energy that it gives, and the calmness of its surroundings. After performing at the Pillow I immediately knew that I wanted to return and experience it again. I had always wanted to apply and be one of the many fortunate companies/
choreographers to present work on the Inside/Out stage, and my experience made the Pillow feel more tangible.

kK: In order to save the Inside/Out stage, the Pillow must match a $100,000 Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Grant by September. Can you tell me what the opportunity to perform at this landmark means to emerging choreographers like yourself?
KR: The Pillow’s history and legacy has always been tied to the support and development of emerging choreographers and companies. It’s a place that has been a turning point for many who have stepped forth as a new voice in the dance world. Having the opportunity to perform on the Inside/Out stage with kerPlunk dance, where so many other companies set foot, is very much anticipated and an honor. What the Inside/Out stage offers is the chance to share our work with a wide variety of audience members and colleagues. Being part of the tradition of sharing work and the introduction of new voices in the dance community is something that I hope Inside/ Out will be able to continue for many seasons to come. Jacob’s Pillow and its Inside/ Out stage understand the evolution of art and the creative care and attention that is needed to keep it thriving. The stage is not just a performance venue, but also a testament to the Pillow’s iconic history. Its preservation is invaluable for all of us.

kK: I couldn't agree more. Be on the lookout for more thoughts on this stage.

kerPlunk will be presented

at 6:15PM

August 12, 2010

www.jacobspillow.org