Digital Marketing Coordinator Lucy Kudlinski was the Public Relations Intern at Jacob’s Pillow for Festival 2023. Hear more about her experience as an intern below!
My internship at Jacob’s Pillow during Festival 2023 was so much more than just professional development – it was an unforgettable summer, where I made lifelong friendships with others who are just as passionate about the arts as I am. Nights spent under the stars after watching an incredible show in the Ted Shawn Theatre, days off spent basking in the sun at the Becket Town Lake, impromptu trips into town to get ice cream; life during my summer as an intern at Jacob’s Pillow often felt like it was straight out of a movie!
Ins and Outs of Daily Life
My days often started in Morning Class: an open, all-levels class series with a different style of dance each day. Morning Classes always felt special to me because it brought together so many groups of people – interns and staff stood next to local community members at the barre during ballet, professional artists from the Ted Shawn Theatre would occasionally join in for hip-hop. It was a well appreciated moment to see the joy that dance brings to all walks of life.
Everyday, meals were taken at the Stone Dining Room – one of the original buildings constructed by Ted Shawn and the Men Dancers in the 1930s. A tradition as old as the organization itself, everyone ate together in the backyard of the dining room, giving me a chance to catch up with other interns outside of my department and hear about what they’re working on. But it was not just a time to talk to other interns, in fact, many of the artists joined for meals. One time, I found myself eating french fries next to a New York City Ballet principal; we spent the rest of lunch debating whether ketchup or ranch is better for dipping!
Exploring on Days Off
On our days off, we took the opportunity to explore the Berkshires and beyond. Shorter adventures took us to local waterfalls and the small towns which dot the county, longer excursions brought us to Northampton and even a weekend at the Cape. In the evenings, we often got together for fun staff events or Pillow parties that were open to the public. One of my favorite memories was the Pillow Olympics – a competition for the staff and interns with events like the golf cart relay race, Pillow charades, and a scavenger hunt. My team, made up of interns and staff from both within and outside of my own department, may not have won gold, but we did have a blast!
The Special Moments
The most special moments of interning at Jacob’s Pillow, in my experience, was being surrounded by dance and seeing world-class performances nearly every day. Nothing could top the excitement of meeting up with my friends at the Pillow Pub after watching Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart perform Minus 16 in the Ted Shawn Theatre – we were practically buzzing, recounting the jaw-dropping moment when the dancers, in complete silence, moved to the echoing thunder and patter of rain from the summer rainstorm raging outside. Where else, except at Jacob’s Pillow, would I have ever experienced that?
These individual moments, as unrelated to professional development as they may have appeared, ultimately fostered long-lasting artistic and professional connections that shaped the way I view my future in the arts. Peeling back the curtain of the organization revealed opportunities to use my experiences and passion for dance in a meaningful way. When I returned for Festival 2024 as a full-time staff member, the lessons I learned and connections I formed during my internship guided me through another unforgettable summer.
This Pillow Pick was written by Lucy Kudlinski and published on January 6, 2025.
Summer Festival Intern Program
Bring your passion for the arts to work at Jacob's Pillow, and be a member of the team behind one of the world’s most prestigious dance festivals!
