Schedule of Events:

2:00pm: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at Ted Shawn Theatre

First Appearance by Full Company Since 1963:
An unrivaled force since 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the most acclaimed dance companies in the world. With a repertory that boasts close to 300 works by more than 100 choreographers, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed in more than 70 countries on six continents, and has been designated by the United States Congress as a "vital American Cultural Ambassador to the World."

This summer at Jacob's Pillow, for the first time in 62 years, the full company of extraordinary dancers will bring to life audience favorites and thrilling new works by choreographers for whom Alvin Ailey paved the way, reminding us that dance is both a reflection of our past and a guide to our future.

Alvin Ailey began his close association with the Pillow in 1954 as a performer, choreographer, and acting director of the Lester Horton Dance Theatre, and he first brought his company here in 1959. He adapted Revelations from its original form for Pillow performances in 1961, and this landmark work—which has been internationally celebrated ever since—will be part of the company's mixed program this summer, along with Amy Hall Garner's CENTURY (2023) and Lar Lubovitch's Many Angels (2024). Additionally, the company will perform Cry (1971)—the signature work that Alvin Ailey created for Judith Jamison—on opening night only, Wednesday August 20.

In addition, programming on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage during this week will feature works by artists connected to the lineage illuminated in the Whitney Museum of American Art's recent Edges of Ailey, the first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate Ailey's enduring legacy. Artists include Yusha-Marie Sorzano in her Pillow debut, a presentation of Sacred Songs by Matthew Rushing and Ailey Extension dancers, and the Pillow debut of HopeBoykinDance. Events on the outdoor stage are ticketed separately.

Forged during a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. With dancers of all backgrounds, an extraordinary library of works, and wide-ranging collaborations with choreographers, it was truly the first modern dance company of its kind.

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2:30pm: Huang Yi at Doris Duke Theatre

Pillow Debut:
Named by Dance Magazine as one of the "25 to Watch" in 2011, Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and inventor Huang Yi creates partnership between humans and robots. Huang will appear for his first-ever engagement at Jacob's Pillow to present Ink, in which he and audio-visual pioneer Ryoichi Kurokawa dismantle and reconstruct the lines from a hundred artworks in renowned calligrapher Tong Yang-Tze's Silent Music series.

Exploring textures of movement, sound, visual art, and space, Huang and his dancers perform alongside stunning holographic projection and two industrial robots. Mixing movement with mechanical and multimedia elements to create dance that corresponds with the flow of data, Ink makes each performer, whether human or machine, a dancing instrument.

Ink was co-commissioned by the National Taichung Theater and National Theater, Taipei in Taiwan and had its world premiere in June 2023.

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