Hanging Out at
Jacob’s Pillow

It’s fortunate that my daughter’s camp is in the Berkshires so that on mom’s weekend, when dads are in exile, I can visit nearby Jacob’s Pillow. The Pillow is a dance center and school located in Becket, MA in the Berkshires with performances from major dance companies of all varieties. I had a great time hanging out there Saturday afternoon before seeing Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) that evening (see my review in the previous post).

The highlight of the afternoon was an hour-long discussion with DTH Artistic Director Virginia Johnson and ABT Soloist Misty Copeland on “Black Ballerinas: What’s New.” Much of the conversation focused on the challenges that African Americans face in the ballet world. Virginia lamented that when DTH re-started its company recently after a long hiatus due to financial problems, there were few African Americans that auditioned for the company. One reason for the limited pool of dancers is that stereotyping hurts African-American participation in ballet as dancers with promise in dance are encouraged by teachers to focus on modern dance rather than ballet, according to Virginia.

However, Virginia said that she has received more inquiries from ballet companies seeking African-American dancers, led by efforts to increase diversity and inclusion.

On the topic of diversity, Virginia said that the ballet world needs to open itself up or it won’t be around in the future. The arts need to lead us forward on all fronts, she said, not have conversations of the past.

It is encouraging that DTH has assembled an impressive group of dancers, largely African American over the past several years. I looked at the bios of the dancers and most have impressive backgrounds including summer training at major ballet companies, dance competitions such as the Youth America Grand Prix and International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, and previous affiliations with major dance companies.

Misty Copeland is one of the most prominent African American ballet dancers today. She discussed a wide range of topics from her start in ballet at a Boys and Girls Club at the age of 13, stereotyping in the dance world, and the impact of social media on connecting and introducing people to ballet. She signed autographs for many excited fans after the talk.

There were other activities at Jacob’s Pillow that afternoon. I enjoyed watching dancers from the School at Jacob’s Pillow perform at the spectacular outdoor stage overlooking a beautiful mountain range. The school offers professional advancement programs each summer for dancers in college and at dance companies. I saw the rehearsals of a modem piece by Thang Dao. Thang has choreographed works for Ballet Austin, Ailey II, The Boston Conservatory, and others.

The intimate setting at Pillow allows for interaction between dancers and dance fans. The barn where DTH dancers were taking a pre-performance class was open for all to see.

The season runs until August 24. Check it out.