Born in 1934, Norman Walker was one of the foremost modern dancers of his generation, performing widely throughout the 1960s and forging a particularly strong connection with Jacob’s Pillow. He studied primarily with May O’Donnell, with whose company he made his professional debut in 1953. After his own company’s Pillow debut in 1961, Ted Shawn invited him to return the following season in the leading role of Shawn’s signature 1935 work, Kinetic Molpai. Walker’s company would appear several times more at the Pillow, and he taught and choreographed regularly in The School at Jacob’s Pillow. This close relationship led to his being named as Director of Jacob’s Pillow in 1975, a post which he held for five seasons. Never an actual company per se, Jacob’s Pillow Dancers is a name that frequently identified Pillow students performing as part of the Festival. The tradition started in the 1930s and ’40s with works created by Ted Shawn, and has continued with such notable choreographers as Ruth Page, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Ralph Lemon, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Mark Morris. The film fragments seen here came to light in 2016 when they were donated to the Pillow by the filmmaker’s daughter.
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