(BECKET, Mass.) – The Hong Kong Ballet opens the 2014 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival season, performing an eclectic program in the Ted Shawn Theatre from Wednesday, June 18, to Sunday, June 22. The program includes dances by international choreographers Nacho Duato, Krzysztof Pastor, and National Ballet of China resident choreographer Fei Bo. Music includes works by Bach, Vivaldi, Elgar, and Karl Jenkins.

The forty-member Hong Kong Ballet – which performed at the Pillow in 2012 – boasts an international roster of classical ballet dancers and a repertory including a range of classical and neoclassical works by George Balanchine, Rudi van Dantzig, Stanton Welch, Jorma Elo, and other noted choreographers of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

Directed by Madeleine Onne, former artistic director of The Royal Swedish Ballet, the company performs a varied program that includes Polish choreographer Krzysztof Pastor’s “In Light and Shadow,” set to Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” and “Orchestral Suite in D Major No. 3”. The company’s male dancers will present Nacho Duato’s commanding “Castrati,” which explores themes of masculinity and sacrifice to the music of Antonio Vivaldi and Karl Jenkins. A poetic trio from “A Room of Her Own,” by National Ballet of China resident choreographer Fei Bo, opens this international program.

A profound, dramatic work, “A Room of Her Own” tells the story of a writer navigating a marriage to her choreographer husband, and her jealousy over his friendship with a colleague. Danced to Edward Elgar’s poignant “Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85”, “A Room of Her Own” was created for The Hong Kong Ballet by Fei Bo in 2011 and a selected trio from the ballet offers a thoughtful beginning to this program of elegant works.

Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato’s “Castrati,” performed by nine men of the company, is a powerful work evoking both tragedy and passion. When The Hong Kong Ballet first performed this work in 2012, Natasha Rogai of the South China Morning Post wrote that Castrati “was carried off triumphantly. The company’s men have always shone…they danced with extraordinary speed, power and intensity.” Duato’s work reflects on the sacrifices made in the name of beauty and art. Pillow audiences may be familiar with “Castrati,” which was performed at the Festival in 2008 by Stockholm 59° North.

“In Light and Shadow” was created in 2000 by Krzysztof Pastor, resident choreographer of the Dutch National Ballet. Pastor drew on influences ranging from Baroque dances to paintings by Dutch masters Vermeer and Rembrandt to create a visually arresting suite of interweaving solos, duets, and ensemble work. Praised by The Herald as “a dazzling array of witty inventions,” “In Light and Shadow” begins with a contemplative, intimate duet and unfolds into celebratory, virtuosic movement for a large cast, flooding the stage with energy and technical exactitude.

“The Hong Kong Ballet is one of the top international ballet companies, and we are building greater recognition for them in the U.S.” states Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow. “The dancers are divine – elegant but passionate and impressive in the range of what they can perform – from the core classics to new, contemporary work.  This engagement is also a chance to see at least one aspect of what’s happening in dance in China.”

Artistic Director of The Hong Kong Ballet, Madeleine Onne, comments: “The company’s 2012 visit to the Pillow was such an enjoyable experience, and our dancers really benefitted from the opportunity to dance overseas for a new audience. The dancers always develop artistically from touring, and while it’s wonderful to perform abroad, I am also proud to show off our increased excellence when we get home.”

Established in 1997, the Hong Kong Ballet continues to grow in scope, making its Jacob’s Pillow debut during its first North American tour in 2012. Artistic director Madeleine Onne, formerly the artistic director of the Royal Swedish Ballet, is also the founder of Stockholm 59? North, which made its debut at the Pillow in 1997 and returned in 2000, 2005, and 2008, quickly becoming an audience favorite. Onne will serve on faculty for the Ballet Program of The School at Jacob’s Pillow during Hong Kong Ballet’s week in the Ted Shawn Theatre and three members of the company will perform as part of the Season Opening Gala on June 14.

On Sunday, June 22, the Hong Kong Ballet’s company class will be open for public observation; in the Ted Shawn Theatre, 11:45am-12:45pm.
Performance and ticket information

Ted Shawn Theatre

Wednesday, June 18 — Saturday, June 21, 8pm

Saturday, June 21 & Sunday, June 22, 2pm

Free Pre-Show Talks with a Jacob’s Pillow Scholar-in-Residence are offered in Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before each performance

Tickets $39-69. Now on sale online at Jacob’s Pillow, via phone at 413.243.0745, or in person at the Jacob’s Pillow Box Office.

Box Office hours: Sun, Mon, Tues, 11am-5pm; Wednesday- Saturday, 11am-8pm

 

Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member, call 413.243.9919×125.

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 theaters are handicapped accessible.

FREE THIS WEEK

Free Inside/Out Performance: Harvard Dance Project

Wednesday, June 18, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Students from Harvard University perform contemporary work by Jill Johnson, director of the dance program. The Harvard Dance Project is a for-credit course for undergraduate students, which Johnson calls a “chance to dive into performance research and what it means to be an artist in 2014.” FREE

 

 

Free Inside/Out Performance: New Generation Dance Company

Thursday, June 19, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Dardo Galletto, a former dancer with Julio Bocca’s company, founded New Generation Dance Company with his wife, Karina Romero, after moving to New York from their native Buenos Aires. NGDC has appeared over several New York seasons in programs of traditional tango alongside Galletto’s signature tango/ballet fusion. FREE

 

 

Free PillowTalk: The Evolution of Institutions

Friday, June 20, 5pm

Blake’s Barn

This summer’s grand reopening of the expanded Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts offers an opportunity for Director Michael Conforti to sit down with the Pillow’s Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff for a discussion on how their institutions have evolved. Conforti celebrates twenty years as director of the Clark this year, while Baff has been leading the Pillow for more than fifteen years. FREE

 

Free Inside/Out Performance: American Dance Guild

Friday, June 20, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

A sampling of contemporary choreography. The American Dance Guild is committed to preserving the living history of modern dance, while promoting new works. FREE

 

Free PillowTalk: Carmen & Geoffrey

Saturday, June 21, 4pm

Blake’s Barn

The one-and-only Carmen de Lavallade makes a special personal appearance following the screening of a stellar documentary about her life and career alongside artist/director husband Geoffrey Holder. Extended 90-minute program. FREE

 

Free Inside/Out Performance: Ballet Program, The School at Jacob’s Pillow

Saturday, June 21, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Dancers from the Ballet Program of The School at Jacob’s Pillow present a work created on them in only four days by acclaimed choreographer Jessica Lang, as well as classical variations coached by program director Anna-Marie Holmes. FREE

 

 

 

FESTIVAL 2014 FREE EXHIBITS — ON VIEW JUNE 14-AUGUST 24

 

Gotta Dance!

Blake’s Barn

Open Tues through Sun, noon through final curtain.

The art of the dance movie poster is celebrated in this extraordinary group of vintage posters from throughout the world, selected from the personal collection of one of the genre’s foremost experts, Mike Kaplan, an award winning campaign designer and producer. Among the star dancers featured are Gene Kelly, Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, and Astaire & Rogers, with a special salute to Marge Champion on the occasion of her 95th birthday.

 

Denishawn Centennial

Ted Shawn Theatre Lobby

Open 60 minutes pre-performance

One hundred years ago this summer, the iconic dance soloist Ruth St. Denis married Pillow founder Ted Shawn and formed a company that spawned American modern dance. Their union was celebrated here with a lavish 50th Anniversary celebration in 1964 (despite their formal separation in 1930), and now their partnership is explored through treasures from the Jacob’s Pillow Archives.

 

104 Work Weeks: On Tour With Merce Cunningham Dance Company

Doris Duke Theatre Lobby

Open 60 minutes pre-performance

Visual artist Kenneth E. Parris III documented the Merce Cunningham Dance Company’s final tour in a series of drawings and paintings focusing on the dancers’ backstage life, displayed here on the five-year anniversary of the company’s last Pillow performances and Merce Cunningham’s death that same week.

 

 

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Archives

Blake’s Barn

Open Tues-Sun, noon to approximately 9pm

This informal library and reading room allows impromptu visitors to view videos, browse through books, access the Pillow’s computer catalog, or peruse permanent collections of Pillow programs and photographs. Pillow Interactive, the popular touch-screen kiosk, provides instant access to rare film clips ranging from the present day back to the 1930s. Visitors may also sample videos from other Dance Heritage Coalition archives and companies throughout the country. FREE

 

ABOUT THE PILLOW

Jacob’s Pillow, celebrating its 82nd Festival in 2014, is a National Historic Landmark, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and home to America’s longest running international dance festival. Each Festival includes more than 50 national and international dance companies and 350 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, classes, exhibits, and events. The School at Jacob’s Pillow, one of the most prestigious professional dance training centers in the U.S., encompasses the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in various disciplines of arts administration, design, video, and production. The Pillow’s extensive Archives, open year-round to the public, chronicle more than 80 years of dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and videos. Year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults through public classes, residencies in area schools, and an extensive schedule of free public events. Through Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion®, a nationally-recognized program, artist-educators work with Berkshire County teachers and students grades K-12, transforming curricula such as biology, literature, and history into kinesthetic and creative learning experiences. Creative Development Residencies, in which dance companies are invited to live and work at the Pillow and enjoy unlimited studio time; choreography commissions; and the annual $25,000 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award all support visionary dance artists and choreographers. Virtual Pillow is aimed at expanding global audiences for dance and offers the opportunity to experience dance and Jacob’s Pillow from anywhere in the world via online interactive exhibits, global video networks, and social media. As part of the Virtual Pillow initiative, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive is a curated online video collection of dance highlights from 1936 to today. On March 2, 2011, President Obama honored Jacob’s Pillow with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government, making the Pillow the first dance presenting organization to receive this prestigious award.