In their upcoming Pillow Lab residency from October 30 – November 10, tap dancer-choreographer Leonardo (Leo) Sandoval, composer Gregory Richardson, and their company, Music From The Sole, bring their vibrant energy and innovative spirit back to Jacob’s Pillow. Known for blending tap dance and live music rooted in Afro-diasporic rhythms, the company reflects a deep connection to both tradition and experimentation. With a collaborative ethos and a commitment to honoring the diverse cultural influences that shape their work, Music From The Sole continues to push boundaries and redefine what tap can be. Read on to discover their inspirations, philosophy, and what’s next for them.
What’s inspiring you right now?
Leo: I am going through personal changes in my life right now that feel very chaotic, but it’s also giving me a lot of inspiration and motivation to create new material. Big changes are hard, but creating work is healing.
What can audiences expect from your time in the Pillow Lab?
For this new piece, we are experimenting with breaking up our tap floor into smaller islands or “rooms,” so instead of seeing one large dance area center stage, the audience will experience several “rooms” with dance areas and band members spread across the stage. Conceptually, this is a way of representing a house and/or the domestic time the company members spend together as both artists and chosen family.
Is there a piece of advice or wisdom that has stuck with you as an artist?
Gregory: Don’t participate in gossip or backbiting. It will circle back on you one way or another.
What’s one things you always have with you in the studio?
Notebooks, paper, colored pencils, water colors and materials for coloring and drawing
Is there something you’re currently reading, watching, or listening to that’s influencing your work?
We recently watched the Wayne Shorter documentary called “Zero Gravity” that was super inspiring. He was such a fearless innovator and creative person. We watched it several times with different groups of company members while we were staying together at a residency at Guild Hall.
What’s next for you after your residency at the Pillow Lab?
We have a west coast tour of I Didn’t Come To Stay coming up early next year that we’re very excited about and is in large part thanks to our new booking agent, Anne Camille Hirsch at En Pointe Management. We’ll do Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) and then a tech residency for our new evening length show in January. Then, we’ll be looking at regional premiere dates for the show throughout 2025.
Inside the Pillow Lab is an intimate film series that captures works in process and behind-the-scenes moments of what it’s like for artists to live, work, and rehearse together in residencies on the Pillow’s retreat-like campus.
A year-round incubator of new work, the Pillow Lab hosts ten artist residencies this fall, winter, and spring. Learn more about the dance artists who will be joining the Pillow during crucial development, research, and technical stages of choreography-driven projects.