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PillowVoices: Dance Through Time brings listeners closer to notable dance artists connected with Jacob's Pillow, from 1933 to today. Each piece exemplifies Jacob's Pillow's mission to 'support dance creation, presentation, education, and preservation; and to engage and deepen public appreciation and support for dance' by utilizing archival recordings brought to life in the personal stories and narration of current thought-leaders and scholars. Jacob's Pillow, lauded by The New York Times as "the dance center of the nation," is a National Historic Landmark, a recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, and home to America’s longest-running international dance festival, located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. PillowVoices is directed by Jennifer Edwards and produced by Lisa Niedermeyer. Rahsaan Cruz provides audio design and engineering. Research and Transcription by Arushi Singh. Music for the opening is by J.S. Bach and the closing theme is by Jess Meeker, both performed by Meeker. Content curator is Norton Owen, and associate curator is Patsy Gay.

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Check latest episodes from PillowVoices: Dance Through Time podcast

Virginia Johnson and Misty Copeland: Ballerina Brilliance

2026/01/31

Virginia Johnson of Dance Theatre of Harlem and Misty Copeland of American Ballet Theatre discuss their own training, the universality of performing classical ballets, the responsibilities of role models before and after the emergence of social media, and how dance skills can prepare young people for careers beyond the stage. Recorded during a 2014 PillowTalk moderated by Maura Keefe.

50 Seasons with Norton Owen

2025/12/27

Behind the scenes stories of how the exhibition 'Connecting Through Time: 50 Seasons with Norton Owen' came together. Scholar in Residence Maura Keefe guides the conversation with exhibit curator Wendy Perron, Pillow Archivist Patsy Gay, and Director of Preservation Norton Owen. Recorded during July 2025 PillowTalk.

Tap is the Root, with Robyn Watson

2025/11/22

Dance Interactive Video Excerpts of Tap Performances at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive Multimedia Essays on Tap curated by Brian Seibert

Frederic Franklin's Ballet Memories

2025/10/25

See Frederic Franklin dancing with Alexandra Danilova in 1948 at Jacob's Pillow on DANCE INTERACTIVE 'Frederic Franklin Returns' PillowTalk 2007 - video excerpt on YOUTUBE

Audio Description for Dance at Jacob’s Pillow

2025/09/27

Links to disability artistry projects mentioned in this podcast: POD Access by Thomas Reid and Cheryl Green Reid My Mind Radio hosted by Thomas Reid Social Audio Description Collective Kinetic Light Kayla Hamilton Christopher Unpezverde Núñez Krishna Washburn Curiosity Paradox

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

2025/08/23

Dance scholar Nancy Wozny highlights the life and work of Moroccan and Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. Cherkaoui was honored with the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award in 2022 for his achievements in the worlds of both concert and commercial dance including choreography for Beyoncé and the Broadway production of Jagged Little Pill.

Bill T. Jones: Philosophies and Memories

2025/07/26

Norton Owen introduces highlights from past PillowTalks with choreographer Bill T. Jones, including reflections on his philosophy of partnering and its roots in contact improvisation. He also offers advice on how audiences might best approach his work and shares the personal story of a gift from two Pillow patrons.

Dancing Mr. Talley Beatty's Blackness

2025/06/21

Dance Scholar Mora-Amina Parker illuminates the historical and cultural context of Mr. Talley Beatty's choreography as well as the significant impact on in her course as a professional dancer after discovering his ballets.

Resident Dance Photographers at Jacob's Pillow

2025/05/31

Guest host Benjamin Richards focuses the lens on four different resident dance photographers: John Lindquist, Stephan Driscoll, Mike van Sleen and Christopher Duggan.

La Nijinska

2025/04/26

Highlights from a 2022 PillowTalk with Lynn Garafola, author of the biography La Nijinska: Choreographer of the Modern speaking with scholar-in-residence Brian Schaefer. Garafola illuminates Bronislava Nijinska’s life as a Russian born dancer, sibling to Vaslav Nijinsky, and groundbreaking 20th century ballet choreographer. Garafola also shares some fascinating documentation of Nijinska's pivotal connections to Jacob's Pillow.

Celebrating Carmen de Lavallade

2025/03/29

Highlights from Carmen de Lavallade's Pillow debut as a dancer in Lester Horton's company in 1953, all the way through the premiere of her one woman show at the age of 83. Host Norton Owen guides us through the many spirited connections Ms. de Lavallade holds both in American dance history and with Jacob's Pillow.

Documenting The Hustle

2025/02/22

Beyond the First 50 Years of Hip Hop with Michele Byrd-McPhee

2025/01/25

What could representation and opportunity for Hip Hop dance look like in the near future? Guest host Michele Byrd-McPhee revisits the 2023 conversation during PillowTalk: Hip Hop at 50, to build upon and expand into what is possible for the next 50 years. Interstitial music for this episode is from the live performance Hip Hop Across the Pillow as well as the All Styles Dance Battle event in 2023. Music: Darrin Ross, d. Sabela grimes ("All Goodness In," performed and written by Usual Rucker). Additional film and video from Hip Hop Across the Pillow can be found at: https://watch.jacobspillow.org/category/videos/hip-hop-across-the-pillow https://www.ladiesofhiphop.com/

Fluid Roots and Resistance in Contemporary Indian Dance

2024/12/21

Dance Scholar Dr. Arushi Singh dives into the historical and cultural context of three Contemporary Indian artists who are engaging with their own cultural inheritances as a vital aspect of reclaiming identity on their own terms. Video links: Inside the Pillow Lab: Hari Krishnan/inDANCE (2024) https://youtu.be/rS1QWdC771E?si=RDdlOkle16g-EGQD Inside the Pillow Lab: Aakash Odedra (2024) https://youtu.be/7rFjqCfVd78?si=ZdqRw1FqXUlyg12U Inside the Pillow Lab: Ananya Dance Theatre (2022) https://youtu.be/KgH-aIm7Q5E?si=Blzt2goEa_pU7TOY

Comedy and Drag in Ballet: 50 Years of The Trocks

2024/11/23

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo's Artistic Director, Tory Dobrin, speaks with Jacob's Pillow Scholar-in-Residence, Maura Keefe, in this 2024 PillowTalk. Dobrin shares his own firsthand stories and reflects on the impact of 50 years of blending serious ballet technique with comedy and drag in this all-male company. Full PillowTalk including commentary on video excerpts of the company's repertoire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VzzAG70B3o Video playlist 'Gotta Laugh' featuring excerpt of Paquita by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo: https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/playlists/gotta-laugh/ Video excerpt of Swan Lake by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo: https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/les-ballets-trockadero-de-monte-carlo/le-lac-des-cygnes-swan-lake-act-ii/

Podcast reviews

Read PillowVoices: Dance Through Time podcast reviews

5 out of 5

24 reviews

★★★★★

Christopher F Italia 2025/11/16

Sublime and so so important

In 2022 when we moved purposefully to Becket it was to be i. the same town / zip code as Jacobs Pillow. My spouse has been an academic archivist for m...

★★★★★

HKRes 2022/07/14

Pillow Voices

I love getting the history and current thinking in one breath.

★★★★★

Portzenb 2021/04/24

Wonderful all around

Such a diverse range of dance-related topics covered by such a great group of hosts.

★★★★★

LexMorton 2019/12/18

Epic podcast

I was hooked on this podcast after one listen. It makes sense that such an important historical organization for dance, put out such a great product. ...

★★★★★

yawnarama 2019/11/06

Brilliant

A very inspiring podcast

★★★★★

seduclos 2019/08/20

Wonderful!

So delightful to take an auditory peek into the archives of this precious and treasured dance institution! The first episode with the late great Mr. T...

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