Modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn and his wife, Ruth St. Denis, purchased the Jacob’s Pillow farm in 1930 in hopes of creating a pastoral setting for their dance company. But the Denishawn Company’s residence was to be short-lived—the couple separated a year later. Shawn continued dancing at the Becket location and recruited muscular athletes from Springfield College as dancers, performing pieces inspired by theater and ethnic traditions rather than European ballet.
Seventy-eight years later, Jacob’s Pillow is a modern dance mecca with a rigorous dance school and world-famous summer festival. This year’s festival includes a rare two-week run from the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Chapel/Chapter is the latest performance to come from the “genius” mind of choreographer Jones (he won a MacArthur Award). Jones offers three provocative narratives about a man who murders a family, a father who kills his daughter and an incident at a summer camp. In Chapel/Chapter, the emotional intricacies of personal tragedy meet the desensitized reaction of society to the tragic “news items” encountered every day.
June 26-29, July 3-6, $45, Doris Duke Studio Theater, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, 358 George Carter Rd., Becket, (413) 243-9919, www.jacobspillow.org.
