ted shawn

Pillow Life — Nearly Finished

August 14, 2013 by 4dancers

by Ashley David
Who would have thought this suburban/city born and raised girl could have made it for 10 weeks in the woods? I certainly would have never thought so, but it looks like I have! I am more than halfway through my Press/Editorial Internship at Jacob’s Pillow Dance, America’s longest running international dance festival, and I can sufficiently say I am a “Pillow Person.”

For six days a week and on average somewhere between 8-12 hours a day, I am hard at work writing and editing programs and press releases, sending heaps of emails, meeting with journalists, giving tours, and selling tickets at the box office. All of this was in the job description and what I knew would be happening before I arrived here. What I didn’t realize would become such a large part of the experience is all of the other, incredible opportunities of working where the New York Times calls “the dance center of the nation.”

Let me give you just a few of my favorite experiences from Pillow life so far:

Dancing at the Jacob’s Pillow Gala next to New York City Ballet legend Wendy Whelan and tap-goddess Michelle Dorrance.

gala2013_michelledorranceperformance_karlicadel_courtesyjacobspillowdance (2) — Michelle Dorrance at Gala 2013; photo Karli Cadel, courtesy Jacob’s Pillow Dance.

Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with every artist that comes here to perform in the historic Stone Dining Room. I mean, seriously, I casually said good morning to former Batsheva in-house choreographer Barak Marshall, and his mother the legendary artist Margalit Oved every day the week they were at the Pillow.
Walking down the stairs of my second floor office to peek into the attached Bakalar Studio (the same studio that Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers used to rehearse and perform in the 1930s) to watch awe-struck as Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet does a ballet barre.

20130703_tst_cedarlake-dress_christopher.duggan_039 — Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet; photo Christopher Duggan, courtesy Jacob’s Pillow Dance.

Working in the box office and selling tickets to some of our patrons who have been “coming to the Pillow since the days of Ted Shawn.” I once even had a woman tell me she has a picture of herself sitting on Ted Shawn’s knee from when she was a young girl.
Having access to the most comprehensive dance archives in the world. I was doing research to design a Pillow tour specifically for kids and decided to ask for some advice from the Director of Preservation on what to look for in the vast archives. He directed me to a children’s book written about a young girl’s adventure at the Pillow. I opened the front cover and what did I find? A handwritten note from the author to Ted Shawn in 1956.

photo (11) — Front cover with note for “Janey and the Summer Dance Camp.”

Meeting acclaimed dance critics such as Deborah Jowitt, Janine Parker of The Boston Globe, and Brian Seibert of The New York Times. Soon I will also be meeting legendary New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay and editor-in-chief of Dance Magazine, Wendy Perron.
Spending 45 minutes talking to Kina Poon, the Associate Editor of Dance Magazine, about my experience at the Pillow, her background in dance, and our favorite dance companies—including my obsession with Keigwin + Company.
Designing and implementing the kid’s tour to more than 100 children and parents as well as creating a special “Pillow Passport” for kids to bring with them during the tour.

Leading a kid's tour; photo by Em Watson. — Leading a kid’s tour; photo by Em Watson.

Hanging out at the Pillow pub after a performance and looking at the table next to me to find none other than the award-winning musician Toshi Reagon, who performed live original compositions for Dorrance Dance’s world premiere of The Blues Project.
Taking an hour and half master class with every artist who performs in the Doris Duke Theatre including such artists as Shantala Shivalingappa, Brian Brooks, Tere O’Connor, Michelle Dorrance, and Kyle Abraham.

kuchipudi 2 — Pillow interns with Shantala Shivalingappa and her mother, Savitry Nair.

The list could really go on and on, but this is just a snapshot into what is every day, normal life inside of the Pillow bubble. Most important of all, I am surrounded by staff and interns who are passionate about the same thing I am, and want to share that passion with me. I don’t feel like I am the stereotypical intern doing mindless, unnecessary tasks. What I do matters and what I do would not be completed if I was not here. This sense of responsibility and worth is a priceless part of the experience and something I truly cherish. Not only am I completing my tasks, but also I am learning throughout the entire process. Special intern seminars to teach us about the ins and outs of arts administration are held every other week as well as “lunchtime learning sessions” with various staff members on other topics in the field. If I still feel like I have a specific question, I am encouraged to explore my curiosities and seek answers.

One of my favorite quotes by Edgar Winter states, “I can’t imagine anything more worthwhile than doing what I most love, and they pay me for it.” While I don’t necessarily get paid as an intern right now (although I do get free room and board, performances, and classes) this internship encompasses what I love–in the industry I would like to be a part of in the future. While there have been the occasional bumps along the road, there is nowhere I would have rather spent my summer. My eyes are open to the world around me, and my hunger to succeed in the dance industry as an administrator, performer, educator, etc. is stronger than ever. I only hope that my final weeks here do not completely fly by because I am not so sure I am ready yet for the bittersweet goodbye!

Intern Ashley David is a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park where she double majors in communication-public relations and dance. Her ultimate career goals are to perform dance, teach dance and combine her public relations skills with her passion for dance and become a well-rounded arts administrator.

Currently, Ashley is spending her sumer at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival as a Press and Editorial Intern with Jacob’s Pillow Dance during their 2013 Festival Season. She is responsible for conducting media relations with all artists performing in the Doris Duke Theatre, one of two theaters at the Pillow. She will write press releases, show programs, pitches, and media advisories, maintain a media archive, and create press packets. She will also be gaining experience working in the box office and giving tours, including a specially designed kid’s tour.

In summer 2012, she had her first experience in the Washington D.C. arts management world as a PR/Marketing intern for the nonprofit organization, CityDance. She spearheaded many marketing, design and public relations projects in the administrative office and worked at the conservatory. In September 2012 she had the privilege of dancing with the amazing CityDance faculty in the first annual faculty show, FRESH VISIONS: under one umbrella.

During the school year she is the Undergraduate Assistant to the Director of Marketing and Communications for the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland, College Park. She focuses on managing the website and marketing news and events through digital and social media.

In her spare time, she is the President of UM UnBound Dance Team, Internal Development Morale Captain for Terp Thon, Event Coordinator and Dance Instructor for the UMD Chapter of Delta Chi Xi-Honorary Dance Fraternity Inc., a member of the Maryland Dance Ensemble, a Student Ambassador for UMD College of Arts and Humanities, a Tour Guide for Maryland Images and a member of Maryland Students for the Arts.

Ashley couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to intern with 4dancers! Her responsibilities include maintaining, formatting and updating the 4dancers website. Additionally, she writes blog posts, manages social media and link builds with other blogs.

For more information about Ashley, please visit: http://ashleymdavid.wordpress.com/

Dance And Movement Invention

March 4, 2013 by 4dancers

dancer in black — Photo by Catherine L. Tully

by Janet Neidhardt

The other day a student asked me if it is possible to create movement that has never been done before. I said that creating new movement can be a daunting task because it seems like every movement has been done before. It is difficult to know if what you are doing is brand new or not especially since dance is created all over the world all of the time.

When my students asked if they could make a “Harlem Shake” video because it was this cool new thing, I replied, “Harlem Shake? I had students doing that back in 2001. This is hardly a new move to copy.” When my students research modern dance pioneers, like Martha Graham and Ted Shawn, they see movement in their videos that we still do today. So the question comes back again: Is it possible to create movement that has never been done before?

I think that within this topic lies a deeper question about how we might manipulate and connect movements in original ways. I am always pushing my students’ creativity when choreographing dances. I often find myself saying I’ve seen that movement too much or if a movement has a name and we all know what it is then I don’t want to see it. Setting a high precedent for originality in work is important. I try to teach my students the difference between copying movement and making movement new and original. This can be a difficult task and can easily push students out of their comfort zone. Placing value in originality and creativity is necessary for students to grow as artists and for the arts to grow within their own discipline.

There are many ways to teach students how to manipulate movements like changing the size, putting it in a different body part, timing, energy quality, and so on. I think the more students feel comfortable taking chances and playing with movement ideas the more creativity with be fostered.

Here is one method of creating more original movement that I like to use with my students: [Read more…]

The Echos Of Iconic Dance Imagery

September 30, 2012 by 4dancers

by Christopher Duggan

It’s Jacob’s Pillow‘s 80th anniversary, and if you’ve had the chance to visit the Pillow, you’ll know that every year Norton Owen creates a beautiful exhibit in Blake’s Barn. This summer’s exhibit is the Decades of Dance and features photographs spanning the festival’s 80 years. I’ve always been inspired by these historic photographs on the Pillow grounds, and this summer I decided to create a personal project surrounding some of my favorite iconic images.

When The Horse’s Mouth program was presented this summer, taking advantage of the connection to Ted Shawn’s Men Dancers was a no-brainer. We were trying to do something interesting with the group to showcase that Ted Shawn was a pioneer for male performers. We recreated the famous photo of the Men Dancers in their bathrobes.

I wanted to recreate in the spirit of the original image and then we made another photo, because I wanted to give it my own spin with the creativity of the dancers.

That photo shoot got my juices going. I had always loved an iconic image of Ruth St. Denis from 1950 in this beautiful dress. When I saw Jessica Lang’s dance with the white dress by Elena Comendador, I thought “Oh my God, I wonder if she’ll be willing…”

The third and final “Then & Now” from this summer is tribute to a gorgeous picture by John Lindquist of a dancer on the Ted Shawn Theater with the doors open (a lot of people think it was taken on Inside/Out, but this was before the outdoor stage existed).

When I found out that The Joffrey Ballet was going to be in the Ted Shawn Theater and the company planned to open the back barn doors for one of their dances, I was overjoyed. I’ve been waiting for six weeks to make that picture. I was just getting in my mind how I’d execute the photo and things started to unravel. The Joffrey didn’t open the doors because it was too cold, and there were several floor lights on the edge of the stage that would alter the shot. There were so many factors that would make it difficult to recreate the photo that I gave up on the idea. But while the dance photography workshop was going on, I was walking by the theater, and they had just finished company class. I went on stage and showed the photo to one of the dancers on my iPhone, and we went for it.

If you visit Jacob’s Pillow, you’ll notice that every room in every building on campus has photographs on the wall. It’s so obvious that photographs are our window into the past, the living legacy of the festival. I honor that, I’m intimidated by that, and I’m proud of that. This was a way to connect to the past and to leave my own mark.

Christopher Duggan bio — Christopher Duggan, Photo by Julia Newman

Contributor Christopher Duggan is the founder and principal photographer of Christopher Duggan Photography, a New York City-based wedding and dance photography studio. Duggan has been the Festival Photographer for Jacob’s Pillow Dance since 2006. In this capacity, and as a respected New York-based dance photographer, he has worked with renowned choreographers and performers of international acclaim as well as upstarts in the city’s diverse performance scene.

He has created studio shots of Gallim Dance, Skybetter + Associates and Zvidance, among others, and in 2011 alone, he has photographed WestFest at Cunningham Studios, Dance From the Heart for Dancers Responding to Aids, The Gotham Dance Festival at The Joyce Theater, and assisted Nel Shelby Productions in filming Vail International Dance Festival.

Duggan often teams up with his talented wife and Pillow videographer Nel Shelby (http://nelshelby.com). A New York City-based husband and wife dance documentation team, they are equipped to document performances, create and edit marketing videos and choreography reels, and much more.

Christopher Duggan Photography also covers Manhattan’s finest wedding venues, the Metropolitan and Tri-State areas, and frequently travels to destination weddings. The company’s mission is straightforward and heartfelt – create timeless, memorable images of brides, grooms, their families and friends, and capture special moments of shared love, laughter and joy.

His photographs appear in The New York Times, Destination I Do, Photo District News, Boston Globe, Financial Times, Dance Magazine, Munaluchi Bridal, and Bride & Bloom, among other esteemed publications and popular wedding blogs. One of his images of Bruce Springsteen was added to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s celebrated photography collection in 2010. His company has been selected for inclusion in “The Listings” in New York Weddings magazine.

Never Stand Still – A Jacob’s Pillow Documentary

August 14, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

Never Stand Still is a documentary about Jacob’s Pillow, home of the longest-running international dance festival in the United States. Affectionately dubbed “The Pillow,” this national historic landmark has a complex and fascinating history which is illuminated quite well by Director Ron Honsa through a combination of historical photographs, videos and narrative. Interviews with dance luminaries such as Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, Judith Jamison and Paul Taylor punctuate the documentary with interesting anecdotes and observations from their own work, adding to the breadth and depth of the film.

Viewers are expertly guided through the history of the venue through rich narration provided by a well-known figure in the dance world–Bill T. Jones. Highlights include dancer Frederic Franklin remembering his early days on the property with Ted Shawn (modern dance pioneer and founder of Jacob’s Pillow) and Suzanne Farrell reminiscing about her time there.

The footage does a wonderful job of showcasing the natural surroundings at The Pillow–163 acres of green space in the Berkshires, dotted with rustic farmhouse buildings and an outdoor stage. The property really has a “vacation getaway” feel to it, and indeed it is known as an intimate venue that some in the dance world even refer to as a “sanctuary”.

The release of this film coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Festival, and it does much to convey the diverse heritage of the annual event. Inspiration and collaboration are highlighted through interviews with Tony Award-winner Bill Irwin and dancer Rasta Thomas, and a multitude of dance clips give viewers a sampling of the range of movement styles represented throughout the Festival each year.

Never Stand Still is a tribute to Jacob’s Pillow–a testament to our tradition and roots in movement. It succeeds in its attempt to convey the mood and emotion that can exist in a physical place where so much passion, talent and excitement have come together throughout the years. There is a reverence for this piece of land in the dance world; both for its history and for what it has become today–a place for dance that really has no equal.

Here’s an extended preview for those of you who are interested in getting a glimpse of what this film looks like:

National Museum Of Dance: Art In The Foyer 2012

May 31, 2012 by 4dancers

by Christopher Duggan

05_NMD_IO_2007_Collage Dance Collective_CDuggan_018 — Photo by Christopher Duggan

Last night was the opening of my year-long exhibition at the National Museum of Dance, and it was a really exciting moment in my artistic career–not just because any curation of my work is incredibly flattering, but because the photographs I chose to display all showcase a space that is very dear to me, a place I’d love to share with everyone I meet.

When the museum contacted me and expressed interest in my photographs of performances at Jacob’s Pillow’s Inside/Out, I couldn’t have been happier. The Inside/Out series features a diverse group of outdoor dance performances that are free and open to the public. These performances take place on a large outdoor stage on the festival grounds, and the backdrop offers a panoramic view of the Berkshires Hills—it’s a stunning visual.

Shooting at Inside/Out is very personal for several reasons. It’s my favorite place to shoot dance, it’s the most challenging space I shoot dance, and it’s the place that in a single image encapsulates the feeling you get when you’re on campus at Jacob’s Pillow.

It’s wonderful that my exhibition coincides with Jacob’s Pillow’s 80th anniversary season. The Pillow’s longevity as a vital presenting and educational institution in the dance world is nothing short of extraordinary, and Inside/Out is one of the Pillow’s most celebrated performance series. The dance concerts take place four nights per week during the festival season and a wide range of family-friendly styles are represented. Outdoor dance scenes have been iconic of Jacob’s Pillow since its founding by modern dancer and choreographer Ted Shawn (not surprisingly, a C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame member at the National Museum of Dance), and I’ve always hoped to pay homage to this tradition in my photographs of Inside/Out shows.

Capturing dance at an Inside/Out show is challenging, not only because the light is ever-changing, but also because I’m always looking to showcase the incredible feeling you get when you’re watching dance in that space. I knew I had to find a way to print my photos on a grand scale to get that feeling right. I wanted museum-goers to feel a little part of what it’s like to watch dance underneath huge trees, which are in turn dwarfed by a spectacular sky. In the end, I went with images that were 28×40 or larger, with the biggest photo at 50 inches tall. I hope my exhibition showcases a bit of that live-performance magic.

Some of my dance photography idols have presented work at the National Museum of Dance’s past exhibitions. Examples include Paul Kolnik, who has been shooting New York City Ballet forever, Lois Greenfield, who has photographed everyone (and everyone recognizes her images) and Rose Eichenbaum, who has made such an impact with her photographs and books, not to mention the fact that she has worked with so many important people in the dance world.

I’d love for you to visit my exhibit this year if you get a chance. Better yet, plan a weekend getaway to the Berkshires to see part of Jacob’s Pillow’s 80th anniversary season. The roster includes favorite programs and companies from past festivals–Crystal Pite’s Kidd Pivot in Dark Matters, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s latest work and Doug Elkins and Friends’ Fraulein Maria–as well as companies new to Jacob’s Pillow theaters.

While you’re there, be sure to look for the bald guy with the camera and say hi.

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