Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel comes to Jacob's Pillow

02:07PM / Wednesday, July 11, 2007Print Story | Email Story

This August 2nd through 5th, Photo submitted by Jacob's Pillow

This August 2nd through 5th, New York-based choreographer Reggie Wilson will partake in the celebration that is Jacob's Pillow's 75th Anniversary Season with his newest full-length work, The Tale Npinpee Nckutchie and the Tail of the Golden Dek, in the Doris Duke Studio Theatre. Wilson's contemporary dance company, Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group, focuses on the rituals, music, and dance of the African diaspora, especially in North America. Founded in 1989, the company is named for the method by which slaves accompanied their dancing when they were denied drums-or indeed any form of instrument aside from their own bodies. Gia Kourlas of The New York Times has written of Wilson, "anyone could master the motion, but only a choreographer of Mr. Wilson's innate warmth could successfully put it on a contemporary dance stage." Wilson's choreography blends deep ritual and meaning with energizing modern movements of remarkably varied sources, including step dance and the Black Bottom. In a related free event, Reggie Wilson discusses his work in a PillowTalk August 4 at 4pm at Sommerspace, and his company performs a free preview on the Inside/Out Stage Wednesday, August 1 at 6:30pm. Performance and Ticket Information for Reggie Wilson Fist and Heel: Ticketed performances are Thursday, August 2 through Sunday, August 5. Wednesday through Saturday evening performances are at 8:15 pm, with matinÃ©es on Saturday, August 4 at 2:15pm and Sunday, August 5 at 5pm. Tickets are $28 each, with a 10% discount available for seniors, students, and youth age 13 and under. The Box Office is open seven days a week from noon through intermission. Pillow Members receive a 10% discount on performances; to become a member call 413-243-9919 x27. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 413-243-0745 or faxing orders to 413-243-0749. Jacob's Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket, Mass., 01223, 10 minutes east on Route 20 from Mass Pike Exit 2. Jacob's Pillow's grounds and theaters are handicapped-accessible. Dinner reservations may be made for the Pillow CafÃ© at 413-243-2445. The Tale: Npinpee Nckutchie and the Tail of the Golden Dek (nuh-PIN-pee nuh-KUTCH-ee, the name refers to the African-American storytelling tradition as much as it denotes nonsense), premiered at Dance Theater Workshop in New York City in February of 2006, and immediately received the highest praise from critics. Tobi Tobias of The Village Voice calls the performance "infectiously joyousâ€¦The sacred and the secular inform each other, and dance and music become a single art based on pulse and breath." Its nine dancers draw from African traditions to contemporary urban social forms, with traces of South African-style Stomping, vocal harmonizing, West African rhythmic complexities, and momentum-driving beats. Wilson blends these concepts and rhythms with stepping, a popular social dance form involving syncopated percussive group routines that draw on a variety of African and African American traditions incorporated into fraternities and sororities of the early 1900s, and now very popular on high school and college campuses. Wilson, who calls his aesthetic "post-African Neo Hoodoo Modern Dance," has said, "Fist and heel is clapping and stomping, shouting and hollerin'. It is a continued manifestation of the rhythm languages that provoked, appeased, and controlled spirits." Wilson and his company keep this rhythm alive through a repertory described by The New York Times Magazine as "technically stunning and emotionally raw." His choreography is remarkable for its seamless, craftsman-like fusion of wildly differing styles-as Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post wrote, Wilson's movement is "Highly sophisticatedâ€¦What you come away with is the sense of the African base as an endless font of inspiration." Wilson has traveled extensively: to the Mississippi Delta, to research secular and religious aspects of life there; to Trinidad and Tobago, to research the Spiritual Baptists and the Shangoists; and also to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Chad, Mali and Senegal, to work with performance groups as well as various religious communities. Wilson graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1988 and has lectured, taught and conducted extended workshops for community projects throughout the United States, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. The African-American history and movement Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group explore have been experienced by American audiences for decades at Jacob's Pillow. In 1942, as part of the Ted Shawn Theatre's first season, Pillow visitors were among the first to see African dance pioneer Asadata Dafora, with appearances by Randolph Sawyer and African percussionists. Alvin Ailey's landmark work Revelations saw its final version premiere at Jacob's Pillow in 1961. And that visit was one of many by actress and dancer Carmen de Lavallade over the years; who now holds the longest performing history at the Pillow. In August, for the climactic finale of the 75th Anniversary Season, the Pillow, once a station on the Underground Railroad, will present an elaborate site-specific production Invisible Wings, bringing deeper meaning to the Pillow's status as a National Historic Landmark. Free Events at the Pillow This Week PillowTalks in Blake's Barn: Wednesday August 1 at 5pm, Grand ThÃ©Ã¢tre de GenÃ¨ve director Philippe Cohen explains his goals and his vision for Ballet in the 21st century. The PillowTalk on Saturday August 4 at 4pm features choreographer Reggie Wilson talking about his style of "Post-African Neo Hoodoo Modern Dance" as well as African traditions in America and their influence on his work and his company. Inside/Out performances at 6:30pm: Wednesday August 1, Reggie Wilson Fist and Heel shows excerpts from The Tale Npinpee Nckutchie and the Tail of the Golden Dek in a Doris Duke Studio Theatre preview. Thursday, August 2, Dario Vaccaro Dance Project, directed by celebrated former dancer of Twyla Tharp dancer Dario Vaccaro, explores the human perception of time in fluid choreography that melds ballet, modern dance, and jazz. Friday, August 3, Madhu Nataraj and Sathyanarayana Raju, both from India and with varied and eclectic dance training, join up for an exciting program. Saturday, August 4, participants of The School at Jacob's Pillow's Jazz/Musical Theater Program, under the direction of master teacher Chet Walker, are on the Inside/Out stage performing a celebration of Ted Shawn protÃ©gÃ© and jazz dance pioneer Jack Cole. Ongoing free exhibits include: Memorable Moments from 75 Years, an exhibition of Pillow experiences from artists, staff members, and patrons, in Blake's Barn; 7.5 Seasons: Mike van Sleen, featuring insightful photographic images from the Pillow's own resident photographer, in the Ted Shawn Theatre lobby; Dancing Dutch, with photographic work representing some of the leading companies in The Netherlands today, in the Doris Duke Studio Theatre lobby; The Ballet Goes to Camp, with newly found photos from a 1941 spread on Jacob's Pillow in The New York Times, in the Reading Room at Blake's Barn; and on view in the Bakalar Studio whenever rehearsals and classes are not in session is Anniversary Salute: John Lindquist and John Van Lund, a series of photos by the Pillow's longtime resident photographers, spanning more than a half century. Amenities at Jacob's Pillow The Archives at Jacob's Pillow are open Tuesday-Sunday, noon through final curtain, in Blake's Barn. The library and reading room offer visitors the opportunity to view over 5000 selections of footage of dance icons at work over the decades, from Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis to Mark Morris and more; to browse through a collection of rare and unusual dance-related books; and to peruse the archival collections of Pillow programs and photographs from 1933 to today. Guides are available to assist in sharing the resources of the Archives. New for the 75th Anniversary Season, an interactive viewing kiosk allows visitors to see rare footage of 75 different historic and current dance icons, including superstar Mikhail Baryshnikov and more. Take a Guided Tour of this National Historic Landmark, once a family farm and station on the Underground Railroad and now a renowned dance festival with school, archives, and community programs. The public is invited to meet at the Welcome Center Saturdays at 5:30pm for a free guided tour or to pick up a Self-Guided Tour Map anytime. Dance Opportunities Morning Jumpstart Classes offered in Pilates, Ballet, Modern, and more, Mondays through Fridays at 8am. All experience levels, 16 and older, $8 per class, Ruth St. Denis Studio. Call the Education Hotline at 413-243-9919 x57. Weekly Master Classes are led by Festival artists Sundays at 10:30am to noon for intermediate and advanced dancers, $15 per class. Pre-registration is required. Call the Education Hotline at 413-243-9919 x57. Classes of The School at Jacob's Pillow are open to observation by the public. See classes and rehearsals of The School at Jacob's Pillow Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9am-5pm, featuring teachers from all over the world, at no charge, in the Sommers Studio. Interested groups of four or more should confirm space availability by calling 413-243-9919 x21. Dining The Pillow CafÃ© offers fine dining with wine service under the tent on The Great Lawn. Wednesdays through Saturdays, dinner is served 5-7pm. Saturday and Sunday brunch is served noon to 2pm. Reservations are required, call 413-243-2455. The Pillow Pub offers casual family fare, takeout for picnics and full bar service. Wednesdays through Fridays 5pm-midnight, Saturdays noon-midnight and Sundays noon-5pm. The Tea Garden serves gourmet teas and fresh bakery items in the charming and historic spot where Ted Shawn's Men Dancers served patrons during the 1930s. The Coffee Bar and Ice Cream Bar are open pre-performance and during intermissions. Sample menus for each dining venue are available at www.jacobspillow.org . Pillow Patrons are also invited to bring picnics and relax at one of many choice picnic spots on the Pillow grounds. As of April 1, 2007, major support for Community Programs at Jacob's Pillow has been provided by The Barrington Foundation; Central Berkshire Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation; The Dana Foundation; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; Frances Alexander Foundation; Marshall Frankel Foundation; The Howard Gilman Foundation; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; The Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation; The Leir Charitable Foundations, in Memory of Henry J. Leir; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Mertz Gilmore Foundation; Evelyn Stefansson Nef Foundation; New England Foundation for the Arts; Rudolf NureyevÂ® Dance Foundation; The William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation; The Prospect Hill Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc; The Starr Foundation; Trust for Mutual Understanding; Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism; National Endowment for the Arts; AlexÂ®; Ameriprise Financial; Berkshire Bank Foundation; Big Y World Class Market; TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation; Jacob's Pillow Business Alliance; and Jacob's Pillow Members. Major endowment support is provided by The Barrington Foundation; The William Randolph Hearst Foundation; The Leir Charitable Foundations, in Memory of Henry J. Leir; Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Onota Foundation; The Prospect Hill Foundation; Puffin Foundation; and the Talented Students in the Arts Initiative, a collaboration of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Surdna Foundation. Jacob's Pillow celebrates its 75th Anniversary Season in 2007. The Pillow encompasses an acclaimed international festival (the longest-running dance festival in the U.S.), a professional dance school, rare and extensive archives open to the public free of charge, an intern program, year-round community programs, and a creative development residency program. The historic site includes 163 acres, 31 buildings, three unique stages (including the first theater in the U.S. built specifically for dance), three dance studios, exhibition spaces, restaurants, the Pillow Store, residential housing, administrative offices, a health center, gardens, trails, and woodlands. In 2003, Jacob's Pillow was declared a National Historic Landmark and is the first and only dance entity in the U.S. to achieve this honor.