Excitement is building here at the Pillow as we welcome (for the first time ever!) The Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom for a weeklong takeover of back-to-back performances at multiple venues on campus.
This debut residency has been many years in the making.
“We have always wanted to have the Pillow debut of the Royal Ballet, but we were never really able to do it because the stage in the Shawn wasn’t big enough. People may know that we renovated the Shawn on the occasion of our 90th anniversary two years ago. So, I actually began working on this in 2018, and I’m just so delighted that it’s coming to fruition this year,” shared Pamela Tatge, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow, for WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
With a full schedule at their home base at The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the company’s sole U.S. stop in 2024 will be to make their Jacob’s Pillow debut.
“We are delighted to be making our first visit to Jacob’s Pillow… It’s wonderful to shine a light on our own history and dance making, celebrating The Royal Ballet’s repertory past and present in this inaugural visit. We can’t wait for our dancers to connect with American audiences in this stunning location—what better setting to share our mutual love of the art form,” said Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, for the American Friends of Covent Garden.
This summer’s Royal Ballet programming includes beloved and well-known works of the classical ballet canon alongside contemporary works by names such as Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, and Pam Tanowitz, offering Pillow audiences a rare opportunity to witness multiple facets of The Royal Ballet’s repertory at both the Henry J. Leir outdoor stage and the Ted Shawn Theatre. A performance of The Royal Ballet will also be livestreamed for free for our audiences beyond the Pillow campus.
“Together with Director Kevin O’Hare, we are creating what will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for festival audiences, many of whom will be seeing the company for the first time. This has already become an unforgettable collaboration, and we are eager to welcome the world to the Pillow to see it,” said Pamela Tatge to Broadway World.
For our Pillow audiences everywhere, we invite you to register for our free livestream of the Royal Ballet in the Ted Shawn Theatre on July 6.
Around the Berkshires and beyond, word is buzzing about The Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom’s debut takeover. Read on to learn more about the performing artists gracing the Pillow stages and how this takeover was brought to life.
This Pillow Pick was written by KC Lin and published on June 28, 2024.