//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvIAySLD2yE

“We wanted to create an evening of contemporary choreography more in the European direction, because when I came to New York, I sort of missed it.”
– Daniil Simkin, Producer/Performer of INTENSIO

Post-Show Talk with Gauthier Dance

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkPnFfQbPA4

“When I was building the company 8 years ago, I said to myself, what is missing in German dance? Maybe a bit of humor…”
– Eric Gauthier, Artistic Director

Want to see more? I send two new Jacob’s Pillow videos via email every week! Sign up to watch Post-Show Talks, performance highlights, festival life, and more.

Very soon, I’m flying out to Vail with a few members of my video team and my two young kids, Gracie & Jack. We’re gearing up to film this summer’s performances at Vail International Dance Festival, and the line-up this year is phenomenal like always – with Carla Körbes, Misty Copeland, Lil Buck & more! Watch our season promo & check out the scheduled performances below.

Stay tuned to my Facebook for tons of Vail Dance videos this year. Can’t wait to share them with you!

Vail International Dance Festival 2015

Savion Glover & The Otherz
Dance House: Ballroom/Dance TV Remix
National Ballet of Mexico, BalletX, BalletCollective, Colorado Ballet and more…
NOW: Premieres with John Heginbotham, Pam Tanowitz, Silas Riener and Rashaun Mitchell, Matthew Neenan, and Lil Buck, with dancers from Dance Heginbotham, BalletX, and artists from New York City Ballet
UpClose: Apollo
Two International Evenings of Dance with anticipated performances by Carla Körbes, Wendy Whelan, Herman Cornejo, Misty Copeland, Lil Buck and many more!!
Balanchine Celebration with Isabella Boylston, Carla Körbes, Misa Kuranaga, Sara Mearns, Tiler Peck, Lauren Lovette, Jared Angle, Zachary Catazaro, Chase Finlay and Joseph Gordon
Dance for $20.15 with Colorado Ballet and guest artists from the 2015 Festival

Buy tickets for the festival here.

Post-Show Talk with Alonzo King LINES Ballet

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX8V4pI0jcg

“It’s a safe workplace where there’s a lot of trust, and the ideal becomes more important than personalities. So, if we are going to build something together, what we’re building becomes the priority no matter what.” – Alonzo King, Artistic Director/Founder

Post-Show Talk with Company Wang Ramirez

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_hC4VDfK3U

“At the beginning I didn’t speak good english, it was very complicated for me to exchange with her [Honji Wang]… Five years ago we said we want to express culture identity. We want to talk about that. We want to use the voice, because it gives another impact other than dancing.” – Sebastien Ramirez, Artistic Director/Choreographer/Performer

Want to see more? I send two new Jacob’s Pillow videos via email every week! Sign up to watch Post-Show Talks, performance highlights, festival life, and more.

Post-Show Talk with Nederlands Dans Theater

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASG-_G9fxeM

“It’s about training. During the day we are rehearsing four, five maybe six pieces for an hour, thirty minutes, forty-five minutes… so within the day already we’re changing costumes in a way. Then we get to a show that’s two and a half, maybe three hours, it’s just kind of like a condensed version of a rehearsal day- of course, with a bit more energy.” – Spencer Dickhaus, Dancer

Post-Show Talk with Big Dance Theater

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je9fABHlWWQ

“If there are things that on the surface seem unrelated and then they start to interact with one another, there’s something transcendent about that.” – Paul Lazar, Co-Director/Performer

Want to see more? I send two new Jacob’s Pillow videos via email every week! Sign up to watch Post-Show Talks, performance highlights, festival life, and more.

Join me to discuss my film at Jacob’s Pillow

Last year, I participated in my first ever PillowTalk at Jacob’s Pillow along with New York City Ballet’s Ellen Barr & Wendy Whelan, talking as an expert about the Art of Promotion using dance film. The Pillow has interesting & informative talks by brilliant dancers, artistic directors, dance photographers, filmmakers, writers and more every single week, and it’s a huge honor to be included in this group.

So I was especially excited to be asked to share my newest documentary film about Nejla Y. Yatkin, Where Women Don’t Dance, as part of the PillowTalk series this summer! We had a preview showing of the film in Chicago, and we’re still working on its official premiere, but screening this close-to-final version at the Pillow is a wonderful opportunity!

I hope you’ll join us next Saturday, July 18 at 4pm to see the film and participate in the discussion if you’re in the Berkshires. See you there!!

From the Pillow:

Berlin-born Turkish choreographer Nejla Y. Yatkin defies cultural expectations in her career choice, and filmmaker Nel Shelby explores the conflicts in this half-hour documentary, mirroring the intercultural differences seen in Monchichi [in the Ted Shawn Theatre that week].  Sat, July 18, 4pm

photo of last year’s PillowTalk by Christopher Duggan

Post-Show Talk with Dorrance Dance

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb5PNFr6ql8

“I so admire them [Derick K. Grant and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards] both as musicians AND dancers, and I’m learning every night in this show, and I think that’s another reason why I love this show and being a part of this show. I love learning.” – Michelle Dorrance

Post-Show Talk with Bodytraffic

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctdQL2rXqtw

“It is difficult to shift focus. It is a challenge that we welcome. It is the challenge that we feel makes BODYTRAFFIC- that you get to come and see a company of people uphold the integrity of multiple works, and to see that shift… that’s what’s really important to us.” – Tina Finkelman Berkett

Want to see more? I send two new Jacob’s Pillow videos via email every week! Sign up to watch Post-Show Talks, performance highlights, festival life, and more.

Post-Show Talk with Ballet BC

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ca2SDfN4UQ

“Getting onto pointe and then putting yourself down and rolling on the floor are two very strong extremes. That range is what Ballet BC is about. It’s about that full fluency of the body.” – Emily Molnar, Artistic Director of Ballet BC

Post-Show Talk with New York Theatre Ballet

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL-rvvdtmLY

“I think that Cinderella is a story that every child should read and should know. It’s a life story.” – Diana Byer, Founder & Artistic Director of New York Theatre Ballet

Want to see more? I send two new Jacob’s Pillow videos via email every week! Sign up to watch Post-Show Talks, performance highlights, festival life, and more.

When PS DANCE! aired on THIRTEEN/WNET in May, more than 18,000 viewers tuned in.

Isn’t that incredible?! I love to think that everyone who watched the film in NYC realizes the significant impact dance education has on children’s lives and its very special role in the city’s public schools.

photo by Christopher Duggan

There are currently close to 400 certified dance teachers to teach in NYC’s 1,800 public schools. We need a dance program in those remaining 1,200!! Join the #danceforeverychild movement on the PS DANCE! website, and you can help us spread the word about dance education in public schools, learn more from our many dance education resources and keep the film’s message alive beyond the five boroughs.

Enjoy these five short clips from the film, and tune in to the full-length documentary on THIRTEEN.org, available now for streaming!

Thank you all for your heartfelt responses to the film – please keep them coming – I love to hear from you! xo

Have you visited the new Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive?

It’s a beautiful new platform for the Pillow’s rich collection of dance video, from the early days of Ted Shawn & His Men Dancers to the HD documentation that my Pillow video team creates each summer today.

Search by artist name, era, genre of dance. Take the Pillow Interactive Quiz (I got 9/10!). Spend hours watching dance history happen before your very eyes. What are you waiting for?

Summer Dance Video at Jacob’s Pillow

Summer is here, and I’m filming and editing from Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires while my team films and edits in New York. Blake’s Barn, where our Pillow video offices and archives are, was renovated and expanded this year, and it is an incredible atmosphere!

Every year, I dive back into the Pillow’s archived dance video and receive dance footage from companies around the world. I record narration by Artistic Director Ella Baff and edit the festival overview. This promotional video gives audiences the first look at the exciting dance shows coming to the main theaters at the Pillow. It’s been online for a while, but I thought I’d share it with you again this week, so you can see all of the beautiful dance in store for this summer.

Tons of wonderful and familiar dance artists are coming to Jacob’s Pillow this summer, and Christopher and I can’t wait to make photos and video with them all! Check out the festival online, buy your tickets now and be sure to say hi when you visit.

Dancing at the Pillow this Year: Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host with Ira Glass, Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass, Ballet BC, Cinderella, Dorrance Dance, Bodytraffic, Nederlands Dans Theater, Big Dance Theater, LINES Ballet, Company Wang Ramirez, Daniil Simkin, Gauthier Dance, Daniel Ulbricht, Jessica Lang Dance, Malpaso Dance Company, The Sarasota Ballet, La Otra Orilla, L.A. Dance Project, Liz Gerring Dance, Martha Graham Dance Company, and Madboots.

Bonus Dance Video: Farewell, Cedar Lake

Click to watch on Facebook

Here’s a look at a video we just made – Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet has been such an important company in the dance world and has graced the Pillow stage with remarkable performances. The marketing team and video team made this as a way to say farewell in tribute to their recent final performances at BAM.

We’re going to miss Cedar Lake and their gorgeous dancing.