Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Henry J. Leir Outdoor Stage
Dorrance Dance Plays the Pillow

Celebrate July 4th week with a uniquely American dance form—a tap dance takeover with dance and live music from Michelle Dorrance, Josette Wiggan-Freund, Nicholas Van Young, special guests, and the remarkable dancers and musicians of Dorrance Dance.

On the Pillow’s outdoor Henry J. Leir stage, Dorrance Dance performs a world premiere full-company work by Nicholas Van Young with new original music by Dorrance Dance musicians. Developed during a COVID-compliant residency at the Pillow Lab this past winter, the work is inspired by this past year’s global experience of isolation and the concept of chaos and order. This piece is framed by a tantalizing excerpt from …Praise: The Inevitable Fruit of Gratitude, created by Josette Wiggan-Freund and features the music of jazz trumpeter extraordinaire Keyon Harrold. The phenomenal company dancers embark on a journey that explores a rhythmical expression of the innermost yearnings of gratitude and praise.