Summer Fun
Summer fun comes in many different forms. Whether your idea of a good time involves the provocative implications of red high heels, or the funky fashions and fads of the 1970s, you’ll find something here to love.
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Circa
CIRCA, 2012
This Australian company opened the 2012 season in the Doris Duke Theatre, and the virtuosic duet seen here was also featured in the Gala. Anyone who has ever felt ‘walked all over’ might relate to this clip, with just a taste of how skilfully the company explores the junction between circus arts and dance.
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David Dorfman Dance
Prophets of Funk, 2011
Recorded in August 2011, this clip will leave some viewers hungry for more music from Sly and the Family Stone. Kyle Abraham, recipient of the 2012 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award, may be seen prominently in a choice passage from David Dorfman’s exuberant Prophets of Funk.
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Mark Morris Dance Group
V, 2011
The visual symmetry and exuberant ensemble dancing on display in this 2011 excerpt from V combine with Schumann’s music to offer a special thrill. Anna Kisselgoff called this “one of the few great works that modern dance has produced in a decade,” and you can see for yourself why she might feel so strongly.
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Twyla Tharp
The One Hundreds, 2001
Twyla Tharp herself leads the way with 100 community members dressed in vintage 1960s costumes. This is the 2001 revival of The One Hundreds, a classic Tharp romp to Jerry Lee Lewis music that mashes up a hundred different dance phrases in characteristic style.
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Gregory Hines, Dianne Walker, Jimmy Slyde
Gala Performance, 1996
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this rare 1996 clip is to see these three eminent tappers improvising on the spot. While Slyde and Walker were regular partners in a week-long engagement, Hines was making a special guest appearance for this one performance only. And we’re certainly glad our video cameras captured the special moment!
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Merce Cunningham Dance Company
Banjo, 1955
The very first appearance by Merce Cunningham at Jacob’s Pillow took place in 1955, only a couple of years after his company was founded. One of the works presented was the surprisingly jaunty Banjo, set to Gottschalk’s piano music. Viewers accustomed to the challenging music scores that Cunningham favored in later years will see and hear a different style here.