Curriculum in Motion™ Institute
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APPLY TO JOIN THE INSTITUTE
Applications are now open for the 2026–27 Institute.
About the Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion™ Institute
The Curriculum in Motion™ Institute is a career development opportunity for emerging, mid-career, and seasoned choreographers to keep your artistry alive and growing. Upon completion, artists receive a Certificate in the Curriculum in Motion™ Method. Each year, we welcome a new cohort of teaching artists, choreographers, and arts educators from diverse dance backgrounds who want to strengthen their choreographic voice with a community focus. Together, we train in the Curriculum in Motion™ method, a transformative dance integration method where choreographers and community partners investigate how dance can honor a community’s questions and needs.
The Institute supports you and your fellow Artist Educators in identifying community partners and crafting workshops and residencies rooted in each community’s history, issues, and questions. Our alumni have worked across K-12 classrooms, health and social service organizations, cultural hubs, galleries, historical sites, and more. We believe Artist Educators play a central role in community building and are committed to honoring the community’s themes equally with the choreographer’s voice. Learning in, with, and by community is essential for taking down systems of oppression.
Institute Directors
You will learn from acclaimed artists with decades of experience developing and teaching the Curriculum in Motion™ methodology.
Celeste Miller
Co-Founder and Co-Director
Kimberli Boyd
Co-Director
Michael Richter
Co-Director
What You Will Gain
Develop and Renew Your Artistic Practice
Training for a Certificate in the Curriculum in Motion™ Method allows time to explore your identity as an artist in relationship to community building, developing a practice of self-reflection and self-renewal.
Grow Your Network
Build a diverse and invested network of artists, and engage in peer-to-peer creative investigation through dancing, journaling, and dialogue.
Build Community
Complete the program with enhanced choreographic and pedagogical skills, confident in your ability to create transformational experiences and cultivate relationships in your community through dance making.
What is Included in the Program
- Two in-person weekend modules at Jacob’s Pillow: On-campus experiences take place at Jacob’s Pillow as we enter the world of Curriculum in Motion™ with interactive dancing, journaling, learning labs, and more.
- The program begins with an opening weekend module September 17-21, 2026, and ends with a closing weekend module July 21-July 25, 2027 during the 2027 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.
- Monthly core curriculum Learning Labs (Zoom): Institute Directors Celeste Miller, Kimberli Boyd, and Michael Richter lead monthly Learning Labs with guided discussion and active artistic engagement. Participants must attend at least 80% of Learning Labs live. Access to session recordings may account for no more than 20% of total sessions.
- 2026-27 dates: Oct. 11, Nov. 8, Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 14, March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11. Time TBD.
- Coffee Klatches with your cohort (Zoom): These cohort-organized events allow you to explore ideas through dance making, discussing, and sharing.
- Peer-to-peer co-mentoring pods (Zoom): These gatherings offer support and creative exchange with one another. Unlike traditional mentoring, co-mentoring does not rest on one person having superior knowledge or experience, rather we honor each person’s unique areas of strength.
- Individual mentoring with Institute Directors (Zoom): These one-on-one sessions provide individualized mentoring adapted to your needs and questions about Curriculum in Motion™.
- Curriculum in Motion™ Institute workbook
- The opportunity to present your Curriculum in Motion™ learning path in an open forum during the summer Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, as the Institute program draws to an end.
Upon Completion
Graduates who complete all program requirements receive a Certificate in the Curriculum in Motion™ Method and may pursue the following levels of advancement:
- Curriculum in Motion™ Fellow: Certificate holders may apply for the fellowship, a paid teaching opportunity at a Berkshire County Public School. This on-site residency pairs the Fellow with an Institute Director to co-teach and receive direct mentorship, deepening understanding and connection to the Curriculum in Motion™ methodology through real-world application.
- Curriculum in Motion™ Certified Facilitator: After successfully completing the fellowship, artists advance to Certified Facilitator status. Certified Facilitators are prepared to independently design and facilitate Curriculum in Motion™ residencies in partnerships with schools and community organizations.
- Curriculum in Motion™ Trainer: The most advanced level of Curriculum in Motion™ leadership. Trainers teach and mentor artists in the methodology. Currently, the trainers are Celeste Miller, Kimberli Boyd, and Michael Richter.
Hear From Our Participants
Applications, Program Fees, and Policies
Priority Deadline: April 20, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
If accepted, receive 10% discount on program tuition
Regular Deadline: May 18, 2026 at 11:59pm ET
Rolling Basis* after May 18, 2026
*Applications submitted past May 18 are reviewed on a rolling basis if space is available.
To apply, please submit a complete application, which includes:
- Resume (Can include education, dance study, awards, and other achievements. 3 pages maximum.)
- Choreographic Sample URL or Video File (No longer than 3 minutes)
- Choreographic Sample Description (What is important for us to know about this sample of your work? 150 words maximum)
- Short Essay Response (300 words maximum)
In order to provide individualized support and attention to all participants, the cohort is limited to a maximum of 14 participants. International applicants (outside of the US) are welcome to apply. Please note that all Zoom sessions are held live in U.S. Eastern Time.
Your application will be reviewed within two weeks of receipt. Upon receipt of your application, an interview will be scheduled with a Curriculum in Motion™ Institute Program Director. You will receive notification of acceptance within one week of the interview.
Program Fee
The subsidized tuition for the 2026-27 Curriculum in Motion™ Institute is $2,450.
Payment Schedule:
- $950 upon program acceptance
- $500 by Sept. 9, 2026
- $500 by Jan. 9, 2027
- $500 by April 9, 2027
Alternate payment plans can be arranged in consultation with Pillow staff.
Financial Assistance
We recognize the financial difficulties and uncertainties of this time. In order to help make the 2026-27 program more accessible, Jacob’s Pillow and Institute Directors have partially subsidized a portion of the fees to keep tuition costs manageable. Limited scholarship funds provided by Jacob’s Pillow are also available.
Priority Deadline Discount
Applications submitted by April 20, 2026 at 11:59pm ET receive a 10% discount off program tuition if accepted.
Local Resident Discount
Additional financial assistance is available for participants living in the regions near Jacob’s Pillow. Eligible counties include: Berkshire County, MA; Hampshire County, MA; Franklin County, MA; Hampden County, MA; Bennington County, VT; Windham County, VT; Litchfield County, CT; Hartford County, CT; Rensselaer County, NY; Columbia County, NY; Albany County, NY; and Greene County, NY. Please inquire with Community Engagement at [email protected] for more details.
Other Resources
We encourage you to explore other financial assistance options such as artist relief funds in your area, professional development support from your school or institution, and personal fundraising campaigns. We are happy to provide letters of support and other materials as needed.
For questions regarding the application process, scholarship opportunities, or if you need assistance completing the form online, contact Thasia Giles, Director of Community Engagement, at [email protected].
If you request to cancel your participation in the Institute prior to the program start date (Sept. 17, 2026) and have completed payments, please refer to the cancellation policy below:
- 100% refund of first payment ($950; $705 with priority discount) if withdrawal notification is received by 90 days prior to start date (June 19, 2026)
- 75% by 75 days prior to start date (July 4, 2026)
- 50% by 60 days prior to start date (July 19, 2026); and none possible thereafter.
- Any additional installments completed by the program start date will be fully refunded.
- Further refund considerations need to be discussed with Thasia Giles at [email protected].
APPLY TO JOIN THE INSTITUTE
Applications are now open for the 2026–27 Institute.
Are You a Curriculum in Motion™ Institute Alum?
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