Jacob’s Pillow enters Week 8 of Festival 2024, welcoming KanKouran West African Dance Company and kNoName Artist to the Henry J. Leir Outdoor Stage! This week promises excitement with both artists making their Pillow debut, and for the first time in Pillow history, Roderick George will receive the inaugural 2024 Jacob’s Pillow Men Dancers Award. Read below to learn more about this incredible bill of artists, and gain some insight into what they have planned for the outdoor Leir Stage!
Ali Rahmaan/KanKouran West African Dance Company – Pillow Debut
KanKouran West African Dance Company travels from Washington, D.C. to Jacob’s Pillow to celebrate their 40th anniversary last year. Company members from the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean unite together to share their mission of preserving and promoting traditional West African culture on the outdoor Leir Stage! The KanKouran West African Dance Company will provide an educational and entertaining experience to the outdoor Leir Stage on Wednesday, August 14.
How does it feel to make your Pillow debut?
We are very excited about this opportunity, and we are looking forward to presenting an amazing performance for the audience.
Tell us a bit about the work you’ll be presenting this week.
The work will be a series of traditional West African dances that celebrate giving thanks for the blessings of life, family, and community.
How have you prepared for this performance?
We have choreographed two new pieces for this performance.
What are you most excited about for this performance on the Leir Stage?
The opportunity to perform at such a prestigious venue!
What do you want audiences to think about when watching this performance?
An exciting display of traditional West African dance, exploring cross cultural connections, and an exciting opportunity to experience the artistic excellence of KanKouran.
Roderick George/kNoName Artist – Pillow Debut
kNoName Artist was founded in Berlin, and now resides in New York City under the direction of Roderick George. George is an American choreographer and dancer that has shared his work, traveling all the way from the U.S. to Europe. In addition to their Pillow debut on the outdoor Leir Stage, Roderick George will be presented with the inaugural Jacob’s Pillow Men Dancers Award during his performance on Thursday, August 15.
How does it feel to make your Pillow debut?
Jacob’s Pillow is a sacred space where dance royalty from the past, present, and future have laid the ground for innovative and forward movement to exist. My first interaction with Jacob’s Pillow was when Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet did its first performance outside of New York’s Chelsea Factory. It marked the beginning of the company’s emergence and my first performance as a professional dancer. Fast forward 19 years later, I am introducing my company with my own success, which is beyond mind-blowing and where dreams come true. The validation of the Jacob’s Pillow family and beyond and its ancestors of this iconic melting pot of dance royalty has hugged me with the joy and glory of my talent and company.
Tell us a bit about the work you’ll be presenting this week.
Venom draws its roots from the lasting impact of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic and the ongoing erasure of the LGBTQIA+ community. My second work, The Missing Fruit, explores how the manifestation of racial and public health violence affects Black Americans and other BIPOC communities.
How have you prepared for this performance?
As a person of color, I often felt my career was built on being in the wings as a swing performer, always prepared for the opportunity when someone would allow my talent and gift to prevail. I have always been ready; however, reaching Jacob’s Pillow required an extraordinary level of preparation. I needed to prepare new artists for the world and the unique choreographic language I introduced to them.
What are you most excited about for this performance on the Leir Stage?
Having the opportunity to showcase my choreography on this iconic land and stage is beyond my imagination. These two new works would not have been born without the support of Kyle Abraham, Nigel Campbell, Rockefeller Brother Fund, and The YoungArts Foundation. It’s not only a debut at Jacob’s Pillow, but also a significant milestone as kNoName Artist leaves its mark on this revered soil, signaling our rise into the world.
What do you want audiences to think about when watching this performance?
As a Black and queer person in the United States, I am inherently politicized. In the current climate, art is being smothered and eliminated. Through these works, I aim to stimulate minds and convey themes of inclusion, engaging our dance world in difficult social conversations. By promoting the continuum of ever-shifting and ever-evolving Afro-futuristic concepts through the weaving of classical and modern dance styles with African diaspora movements, I want the audience to understand that these works are rooted in queerness and Blackness. I want audiences to form their own opinions and explore these themes through my past, present, and future landscape. I do not want to narrate their experience; I want them to feel something.
Jacob’s Pillow invites the Berkshire communities to come together this week and it’s sure to be one to remember! On Friday, August 16 at 6pm following Community Day, a free event where everyone is invited to laugh, have fun, and dance, the Artists of the Berkshires will perform on the outdoor Leir Stage. The artists this year include Eventual Dance Company, SHINE, Garet&Co., and a Zumba performance with Luana Dias David & students. The weekend will close out with the School at Jacob’s Pillow Musical Theatre Ensemble performance on the outdoor Leir Stage on Saturday, August 17 under the guidance of Choreographer/Directors Sekou McMiller, Luis Salgado, and Karla Puno Garcia.
This Pillow Pick was written by Mia Ortega and published on August 7, 2024.