kNoname Artist / Roderick George

kNoname Artist/Roderick George

This performance took place on August 15, 2024.

Pillow Debut

The outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage hosted the dance company kNoname Artist for a special one-night-only performance on August 15. This performance included a “Choose What You Pay” ticketing option, with a suggested ticket price of $25.

Founded in Berlin and now based in New York, kNoname Artist is the company created by Roderick George, an accomplished American dancer and choreographer who has performed with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and abroad with Basel Ballet/ Theater Basel in Switzerland, Goteborg Operan DansKompani in Sweden, and The Forsythe Company in Frankfurt, Germany.

At the Pillow, George presented an excerpt of The Missing Fruit and Venom (short versions adapted for the outdoor stage). 

Venom is a work inspired by the lasting impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the present events of the erasure of the LGBTQIA+ community, exposing how the queer community faced silencing, isolation, being forced into hiding, and death through fear, media, and ‘God’s reckoning,’ while at the same time finding ways to uplift each other using the underground nightlife as a sanctuary. As a queer Black man from Houston, Texas, George recognizes that his existence lies on the backs of these individuals and pays homage to the power and grace of his community. 

The Missing Fruit explores how the manifestation of racial and public health violence affects Black Americans and other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)communities through an interdisciplinary artistic production rooted in contemporary dance. First conceptualized during the most recent #BLM protests, The Missing Fruit examines the experiences of BIPOC communities, particularly addressing their struggles to combat oppression and death, financial insecurity, and health vulnerabilities while making space for Black joy to thrive.

George is the recipient of the inaugural Jacob’s Pillow Men Dancers Award given to a choreographer of any gender who creates an innovative work danced by men dancers to be performed at Jacob’s Pillow in honor of the spirit of our founder Ted Shawn and His Men Dancers. Read more about George and this honor in the Jacob’s Pillow Men Dancers Award press release.

Please note: This performance includes references to adult themes and features a gunshot sound effect near the end.

Generous underwriting support for the presentation of kNoname Artist/Roderick George was provided by Brian T. Fitzpatrick.
The presentation of kNoname Artist/Roderick George was made possible in part by YoungArts, The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.