Mia Bermudez, Antonio Cangiano, and Dylan Mclntyre in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s “Línea Recta” at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2026. Photo by Jamie Kraus.
Just as the pilgrims find their way to Mecca for holiday prayers and spiritual immersion, hundreds of Terpsichore fans gather each summer to immerse themselves in a variety of dance offerings. And what a 2026 summer season it was!
Lincoln Center was an early hub for dance lovers with the American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) interactive production of “Swan Lake” and a special pre-show lecture by Misty Copeland, former ABT principal ballerina, the first African American woman to hold that position. It was a magical experience and one to consider next summer in New York City.
Produced by and benefiting Dancers Responding to AIDS, the 2026 Fire Island Dance Festival was held on open-air stage that overlooks the Great South Bay in Fire Island Pines, New York. Breathtaking dance and bold new works broke records this year. During our second visit on July 15 to the Long Island benefit, an elite lineup of world-class dance companies and choreographers performed outstanding works to be remembered all year long. This fall, we look forward to other Dancers Responding to AIDS events. Up next is the Hudson Valley Dance Festival at Historic Catskill Point in Catskill, New York on Saturday, October 10 where world-class artistry and lifesaving care come together for a beautiful day of dance.
Still, it is the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival where dancers and fans from every walk of life and every kind of dance gather. Nestled deep in the Berkshire Mountains near the landmark Tanglewood Music Center, the historic Jacob’s Pillow settlement has become a landmark in modern dance. According to dance legend, area pioneers baptized nearby Massachusetts Route 20 as “Jacob’s Ladder” because it resembled a ladder on most maps. The billowy shape of a large boulder inside the front gates of the farm subsequently earned it the name, “Jacob’s Pillow.” The “Pillow” is the oldest dance festival in America, dating back to 1931 when Ted Shawn, a.k.a. “The Father of Modern Dance,” bought the main house and land around it. In the early years, Jacob’s Pillow was the headquarters for Ted Shawn’s own personal crusade to legitimize the male image and promote the aesthetics of men in dance. Male dancers came from all over the world to take part in Shawn’s vision of glorifying the male image in movement. Built in 1942, the Ted Shawn Theater itself is simple and rustic. The floor is made of wooden planks, while overhead the exposed beams reveal its origins as a barn. It’s the perfect centerpiece for an idyllic place to escape the city’s pressures. You can wander around the countryside, watch dancers rehearse in open-air studios or stretch out for a nap under one of the many trees.
Jacob’s Pillow just celebrated its 94th season. The 2026 festival brought together 30-plus different dance companies, musicians, and performance artists from Taiwan, New York, and across the U.S. We caught three performances in two days in late August. The Thursday evening show featured Ballet Hispanico New York, the nation’s leading American Latino dance company that brought this writer to her feet after each of the three fiery ballets. “Linea Recta,” with choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, explores the mystery and aloneness of a solo flamenco ballerina who draws her mates into a world of swirls and foot pounding the stage floor. When the entire company comes together at the end of “Granca (Braid),” Cassi Abranches’ work, it reminds us of George Balanchine’s “Symphony in C” finale, only with more gutsy, sexier moves. The dancers are well-trained, some from Balanchine’s own New York City Ballet and school. Fine dancing highlighted “Otra Vez, Otra Vez, Otra Vez” by Stephanie Martinez (who cheered from the audience), especially the male dancers in stunning costumes, designed by Holly Hynes.
The August 21 matinee of the Pillow “Ink” debut in the restored, futuristic Doris Duke Theatre, celebrated both the male image and the dancing of life-sized robots. Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and inventor Huang Yi joined audio-visual pioneer Ryoichi Kurokawa in a cerebral piece that is both intriguing and scary. I found myself riveted to the sleek live dancers—a young, vibrant company—and less interested in mechanical and multimedia elements. Let’s hope Yi comes to the DVM area for another look.
Our visit to Jacob’s Pillow ended that evening with the New York Theatre Ballet on the outdoor Henry J. Leir stage. It was memorable more for the setting of the sun than the choreography, though I thoroughly enjoyed the dancing.
The 2026 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival ran June 24 – August 30, 2026. Member Pre-Sale begins Monday, March 9, 2027. Visit jacobspillow.org.
But it isn’t the end of the 2026 season, as Jacob’s Pillow will feature two weekends of exceptional performances in the Doris Duke Theatre in October. This second annual fall season will present Fresh Voices in Dance, a world premiere event by inaugural emerging choreographers selected by Youth America Grand Prix, as well as a return to the Pillow stage by the acclaimed Doug Varone and Dancers, in celebration of the company’s 40th year of creating and touring work. Their Doris Duke Theatre exhibit, Parable of the Portals: The Acorn Archives, will also be open for audiences to view.
