You Know It's Officially Summer When…

…Jacob’s Pillow opens its barn doors to the dance world. Marking its 81st summer, the Festival opened last weekened with a star-studded gala including performances from Michelle Dorrance, Wendy Whelan, and Dance Theatre of Harlem. DTH stuck around this week, and the troupe performs throughout the weekend at the Ted Shawn Theater. Check out the full list of festival performances here.

For anyone who’s been to Jacob’s Pillow, one thing is certain: dance history is in the air, and it’s palpable. For today’s archival photo, we couldn’t choose between two images (it was hard enough to get it down to two) of iconic teachers at the Pillow: Pearl Primus above, and Antony Tudor below. While both images are undated, they are a call back to the Pillow’s rich tradition as a landmark for dance education. 

Decades later, the School at Jacob’s Pillow is still a hub for dance students (and choreographers, professionals, and patrons). This summer’s ballet program, directed by Anna Marie Holmes, culminates this Saturday with a showing of classical variations and new work by Helen Pickett. Modern students arrive on Monday for the start of the contemporary dance program, led by Horton master teacher Milton Myers, and jazz/musical theatre dancers, coached by Tony-nominated choreographer Chet Walker, commence their program on Saturday.