During Week 6 of Festival 2024, Jacob’s Pillow welcomes Pillow Lab Alum and four-time Tony Award-nominated director and choreographer, Camille A. Brown back to campus. Camille A. Brown & Dancers will perform the World Premiere of Camille’s new work I AM, which was partly developed during her time at the Pillow. And in an exciting turn of events, Camille herself will be performing!
I AM is a continuation of Camille’s existing piece of work, ink, and is about jumping into the future. The process of creating I AM was uniquely focused on curating the creative space. During her Pillow Lab, Camille focused deeply on creating a space that was healthy and rigorous, bringing community building into and beyond the dance studio.
“I believe I AM is a powerful work as there are many dance histories present, converging to tell stories of Black Joy and Liberation. In order to bring these stories to life, Camille A. Brown has built a wonderful community of bold and audacious artists,” says dancer Courtney Ross.
Game nights during Camille’s Pillow Lab residency held equal weight to studio-time. A shared experience, game night reinforces the community being built by the artists with one another. Artists share accountability in the space. This community building serves the higher objective of presenting a real community in I AM, rather than presenting a performance of community.
Ross continues, “Some days, rehearsal would start with Camille sharing her biggest inspirations for the work. And during others, after a run of the work, she would simply hold space for us to share our emotional trajectories, ideas, or reflections. By doing so, Camille created a space where each artist in the room could be vulnerable to share their truth and authenticity.”
The movement and dance is the vehicle for the greater story being told. Artists are emboldened to insert the essence of who they are into the work, creating an invigorating sense of wholeness in the community and in the individual dancers.
“As we’ve all become immersed into the world of I AM, it has been beautiful to witness this conglomerate of concert dancers, street dancers, Broadway performers, you name it, all learning from and lifting each other up. Over the past year, I have seen the cast grow from coworkers who happen to dance together, to a village where the brother and sisterhood is palpable. The community you will witness lives because we have been given the authority to name ourselves each day. Throughout its creation, I AM, has pushed us to shed our old selves, lean into our freedoms, and ultimately go on journeys of self-discovery.”
Camille A. Brown & Dancers perform all week in the Ted Shawn Theatre, July 31 – August 4.
Learn more about Camille’s residency in the Pillow Lab by watching her installment of Inside the Pillow Lab below!
This Pillow Pick was written by KC Lin and published on August 2, 2024.