Jacob's Pillow
Dance Festival

Nine weeks of unforgettable performances, day and night, in the historic Ted Shawn Theatre, reimagined Doris Duke Theatre, and on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage. Plus, special events, parties, workshops, exhibits, talks, pop-up performances in Berkshire County, and more.

Recently Announced

The Inaugural Artists of the New Doris Duke Theatre

We are excited to announce the inaugural artists to perform in the new Doris Duke Theatre, a landmark international venue for dance and America’s only purpose-built dance theater to open in July 2025.

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Our Performance Spaces

Enjoy ticketed performances featuring dance artists from around the globe. See an array of dance forms in one, or all, of our three performance spaces or across the Pillow campus.

Ted Shawn Theatre

Built in 1942, the Ted Shawn Theatre was the first in North America constructed specifically for dance. Designed by Joseph Franz (who also planned Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Music Shed), it was constructed of hand-hewn native pine to comply with wartime restrictions as well as for its aesthetic beauty. The future of this timbered haven for dance is deeply tied to the future of the Pillow and our field.

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The New Doris Duke Theatre

The new Doris Duke Theatre, scheduled to open July 2025, aims to become one of the world’s most technologically advanced dance venues, providing a makerspace for artists seeking to integrate artificial intelligence, extended reality, robotics, and immersive platforms into live performance.

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Henry J. Leir Stage

Originally constructed in 1981 to provide an additional rehearsal area for The School, this outdoor performance space has hosted hundreds of artists and showings by The School at Jacob’s Pillow for over 30 years. A treasured Pillow location set against a backdrop of the Berkshire hills, the space was reconfigured in 2021 to expand capacity and safely present outdoor performances.

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More Festival Offerings

Our annual Festival also includes special events, free livestreamed performances, parties, workshops, exhibits, talks, pop-up performances in Berkshire County, and more! Visitors can explore the National Historic Landmark grounds, visit The School at Jacob’s Pillow, picnic on the grounds, or dine at our on-site restaurants.

Events and Parties

Have a proper Pillow Party at our dance parties, epic dance battles, exclusive Member events, and more.

The School at Jacob's Pillow

Peek into classes and rehearsals during in-studio observation hours, watch informal studio showings, and see the dancers perform on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage.

The Archives, Exhibits, and Talks

Gain deeper insight into performances, interact with artists and experts in the field, and experience diverse exhibits featuring dance multimedia from the Archives in a variety of exhibition spaces.

Community Events and Classes

Join Jacob's Pillow across Berkshire County for family-friendly activities, workshops, and attend pop-up performances, featuring local artists and dance groups.

Jacob’s Pillow acknowledges that it rests on the ancestral homelands of the Muh-he-con-ne-ok or Mohican people, who are the Indigenous peoples of this land. Despite tremendous hardship in being forced from here, today, their community resides in Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors past and present as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all.

Ted Shawn Theatre; photo David Dashiell

Be a Part of the Pillow Family

Jacob’s Pillow Members enjoy the best there is to offer in dance—from renowned and new companies on our stages and on your screens to intimate conversations and Q&As with dancers and leaders in the field of dance, and much more. Members support the Pillow’s performance spaces, Archives, The School at Jacob’s Pillow, Community Engagement programs, and our landmark 220 acres.

Join. Renew. Upgrade.