Festival 2021 brought something brand new to Jacob’s Pillow, and it’s here to stay.
Opening the Summer 2021 Festival among the lingering pandemic led the Jacob’s Pillow team to find creative solutions to have a festival with a robust lineup of artists while also keeping everyone safe and healthy. The Pillow committed to hosting all performances outside and made all mainstage Festival performances available for streaming so patrons could enjoy virtually from around the globe.
As part of the Pillow’s 5-year strategic plan, Vision ‘22, Jacob’s Pillow reinforced its commitment to strengthening connections with our neighbors in the Berkshires and surrounding counties by providing free public programming, such as Pillow Pop-Up performances and interactive community dance workshops. Out of this came the development of Jacob’s Pillow On The Road, which provided public performances across the community we call home.
The On the Road performances traveled all over Berkshire County to Becket, Great Barrington, North Adams, and Pittsfield, connecting talented artists with the community that was overjoyed to jump back into the swing of the Festival season. The success of this program prompted Jacob’s Pillow to bring it back for Festival 2022.
In 2022, Jacob’s Pillow On the Road 2022 will again travel to Becket, Great Barrington, North Adams, and Pittsfield, featuring work by Versa-Style Dance Company and LayeRhythm, accompanied by local artists. During the first weekend of shows on June 15, 16, and 17, The Versa-Style Dance Company consists of a high-energy, unadulterated hip-hop movement that explores and pushes the boundaries of the origins and roots of street vernacular dances such as Locking, Popping, Hip Hop, and Krump.
In collaboration with Pittsfield’s Third Thursday Celebration, LayeRhythm will combine live musicians and freestyle dancers to create dance from a diverse cultural palette. So come on down, grab a blanket and enjoy these 45 minute pop-up performances!
All On The Road performances are free and open to the public, with no RSVP required.
Written by Catherine Ashley. Published June 2022.