Pontus Lidberg of Morphoses in 'WITHIN (Labyrinth Within)' (photo Erin Baiano)
(BECKET, Mass.) – Contemporary dance ensemble Morphoses makes its Jacob’s Pillow debut Wednesday, June 27 through Sunday, July 1. 2012, with the world premiere of WITHIN (Labyrinth Within) by acclaimed Swedish filmmaker, dancer, and choreographer Pontus Lidberg. Directed by company co-founder Lourdes Lopez, former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer and future artistic director of the Miami City Ballet, and performed in the Ted Shawn Theatre, WITHIN combines dance-on-stage and dance-on-camera, with lush, sensual choreography and a sweeping score by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang.
Also this week at the Pillow, Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM (Kidd Pivot), the acclaimed contemporary dance company led by choreographer Crystal Pite, performs her virtuosic and enigmatic work Dark Matters in the Doris Duke Theatre Wednesday through Sunday. Dark Matters returns as the first work of the “Back by Popular Demand” series, in honor of the Pillow’s 80th Anniversary Festival.
In WITHIN (Labyrinth Within), brilliant film imagery, evocative music, and live dancing are creatively interwoven to create a unique and theatrical dance experience. Complementing on-screen performances, the Jacob’s Pillow WITHIN cast will include New York City Ballet soloist Adrian Danchig-Waring, as well as Gabrielle Lamb, Frances Chiaverini, Jens Weber, and Pontus Lidberg. David Lang, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and co-founder of Bang on a Can, composed the original film score, recorded by the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra and acclaimed cellist Maya Beiser.
Frances Chiaverini and Pontus Lidberg of Morphoses (photo Erin Baiano
The world premiere of WITHIN (Labyrinth Within) integrates and expands upon Lidberg’s award-winning film Labyrinth Within, which was filmed in a castle outside of Stockholm, Sweden, and took home top honors at the 2012 Dance on Camera film festival. The film focuses on a mysterious love triangle portrayed entirely through dance and stars the legendary New York City Ballet principal dancer Wendy Whelan, Giovanni Bucchieri, and Lidberg himself. Whelan said working with Lidberg was eye-opening: “I have never done anything like it before…This project really opened my eyes to new levels of expression, dancing and acting. It really made me use my mind differently”. Lidberg and the cast have also filmed new material for the Pillow premiere.
“We are excited to present the world premiere of Pontus Lidberg’s new work, and I think it is exciting for audiences to be the first to see new things that are happening in dance,” comments Ella Baff, executive and artistic director of Jacob’s Pillow. “Pontus is among the most talked about choreographers in the new generation of contemporary ballet. The top dancers in the world want to work with him, and the cast in this new production is among the finest anyone can see anywhere on stage performing today – from companies such as New York City Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, for example. And Pontus himself dances, and he is fantastic. Put all that together with an original score by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang, a beautiful film with Wendy Whelan that is integrated with the live performance, and we have a new dance that promises to be fresh and compelling.”
Wendy Whelan in the film 'Labyrinth Within' (photo Pontus Lidberg
RELATED FREE EVENTS
Free PillowTalk: Lourdes Lopez on the Move
Friday, June 29, 5pm
Lourdes Lopez has recently been tapped as Edward Villella’s successor at Miami City Ballet. In this talk she discusses her fascinatingly varied career.
Free PillowTalk: Pontus Lidberg: Dancer, Choreographer, Filmmaker
Saturday, June 30, 4pm
The triple-threat Swedish creative artist Pontus Lidberg shows excerpts from some of his award-winning films and discusses his diverse roles in the dance and film worlds.
Performance and Ticket Information
Morphoses in WITHIN (Labyrinth Within)
Ted Shawn Theatre
Wednesday, June 27 through Saturday, June 30 at 8pm
Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1 at 2pm
• Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob’s Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered in Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before every performance. A Post-Show Talk with Pontus Lidberg and a Pillow Scholar will take place onstage on Friday, June 29.
• Tickets $39–64. Now on sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745, or in person at the Jacob’s Pillow Box Office.
• Box Office hours: Monday and Tuesday, 10am-6pm, Wednesday through Saturday 10am–8pm, and Sunday 12pm–5pm.
• Jacob’s Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket, MA, 01223 (10 minutes east on Route 20 from Mass Pike Exit 2). The Jacob’s Pillow campus and theatres are handicapped-accessible.