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Do you want to dance on the Jacob's Pillow Inside/Out stage?

Jacob's Pillow Hosts 'Chance to Dance' Contest

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BECKET, Mass. - Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival invites artists of all styles to participate in the first ever Inside/Out: Chance to Dance viewers' choice contest.

An exciting opportunity to perform on the Pillow's iconic outdoor stage, the Chance to Dance contest is a viewer-selected online competition that allows the public, peers, and fans of artists to vote on their inclusion in the Inside/Out Performance Series for Festival 2017.

Submissions to the contest will be accepted from Feb. 6-20; voting is open to the public on PillowTV, the Jacob's Pillow YouTube channel, from February 21-26. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, March 7, and will perform on July 21 as a part of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival's 85th Anniversary Season.


Inside/Out performances occur every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6:15-7 p.m. throughout the annual Festival. Performances take place at the Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage, a setting that is described by The New Yorker as "a breathtaking outdoor stage overlooking the lush Berkshire hills." An essential part of the Pillow's mission and beloved tradition, Inside/Out is free and open to the public, featuring dance styles ranging from classical ballet and hip-hop to tap and folkloric dance. It is a venue geared especially toward educating audiences about dance in a casual outdoor setting, and giving the opportunity to all people, regardless of their financial means, to experience dance.

Applicants can submit their video to the Jacob’s Pillow website between Feb. 6-20. All submissions will go through an initial vetting process by Jacob's Pillow. Up to 10 videos will be hosted on the PillowTV YouTube page and will be open for public voting from Feb. 21-26. Video submissions must be no more than three minutes in length. Content of submissions must be family friendly and suitable for the outdoor setting.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until Monday, Feb. 20, at 11:59 p.m. online. Winner(s) will be announced March 7.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Toy Library Installed at Onota Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Feel free to use or leave a toy at Onota Lake's newest infrastructure meant to foster community and benefit kids.

Burbank Park now has a toy library thanks to Wahconah Regional High School senior Alexandra Bills. Located along the wall at the beach area, the green and blue structure features two shelves with sand toys that can be used to enhance children's visits.

The Parks Commission supported Bills' proposal in February as part of her National Honors Society individual service project and it was installed this month. Measuring about 4 feet wide and 5.8 feet tall, it was built by the student and her father with donated materials from a local lumber company.

Friends and family members provided toys to fill the library such as pails, shovels, Frisbees, and trucks.

"I wanted to create a toy library like the other examples in Berkshire County from the sled library to the book libraries," she told the commission in February.

"But I wanted to make it toys for Onota Lake because a lot of kids forget their toys or some kids can't afford toys."

Bills lives nearby and will check on the library weekly — if not daily — to ensure the operation is running smoothly.  A sign reading "Borrow-Play-Return" asks community members to clean up after themselves after using the toys.

It was built to accommodate children's heights and will be stored during the winter season.

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