Jacob's Pillow Kicks off 2009 Festival with Mujeres
BECKET, Mass. – Jacob’s Pillow, home of America’s longest-running international dance festival, kicks off its 77th season with Mujeres (Women), an exclusive performance by prominent flamenco artists Belén Maya and Rocío Molina in the Ted Shawn Theatre, June 24-28. Maya and Molina are lauded by international critics for their creativity, artistry, and exceptional technique. At the Pillow they will perform a variety of dynamic solos and duets, honoring and reinventing the rhythm, passion, and soul of flamenco. Direct from Spain, this exclusive program was directed by the late flamenco legend Mario Maya and features live music by master vocalists, guitarists, and percussionists. As The Financial Times (U.K.) describes it, “the interplay between the two women is mysterious and wholly satisfying,” and The Miami Herald proclaims, “you couldn’t call Mujeres anything but top of the line.”
Ella Baff, Executive Director of Jacob’s Pillow comments, “Mujeres opens the Festival with some of the most passionate music and dance that people will experience anywhere in the world. Belén Maya and Rocío Molina are among the most exciting stars of flamenco today. Ms. Maya belongs to a royal lineage of flamenco and Ms. Molina was singled out by critics and audiences for her astonishing performances at the Pillow a few years ago with María Pagés. To have them together on the same stage, with their fantastic musicians, is a very special event."
Offering an intimate view of the artists, Mujeres is a series of commanding solos, expressive duets, and powerful musical interludes that merge tradition with contemporary approaches to flamenco performance. The complexity of movement customary to flamenco dance is masterfully executed as the dancers’ footwork contrasts with the supple mobility of their torsos and fluidity of their arms. Solos highlight the distinctive mannerisms and styles of each performer; Maya attacks the movement with an aggressive ferocity that then transitions seamlessly into full-body undulations, while Molina displays an engaging spherical agility as she traces patterns in the space.
This Pillow presentation of Mujeres was directed by Mario Maya, one of Spain’s most influential leaders of flamenco dance. Maya, who passed away in September 2008 at the age of 71, studied flamenco in Spain and modern dance in New York. A gifted dancer and choreographer, he paved the way for future innovations in flamenco by fusing traditional steps with a contemporary style. Providing live onstage accompaniment for the engagement are percussionist Sergio Martinez, guitarists José Luis Rodriguez and Paco Cruz, and vocalists Rosario Guerrero and David “El Galli.”
Belén Maya is the daughter of two revered flamenco artists, Carmen Mora and Mario Maya. She began her studies at Amor de Dios in Madrid, danced at the School of the Spanish National Ballet, and then settled in Seville to concentrate on flamenco. In addition to flamenco, she is trained in ballet, classical Spanish dance, jazz, and contemporary dance. Maya has performed as a principal dancer with Mario Maya’s Flamenco Dance Company as well as the Dance Company of Andalucía, and also appeared in Carlos Saura’s 1995 film, Flamenco. The film spurred new designs in musicality, movement, and costuming in flamenco dance. The recipient of high praise from critics and flamenco experts in Spain, London, and the United States, Maya continues to participate in flamenco festivals worldwide, including most recently the XV Bienal of Flamenco at Seville.
Born in Málaga, Spain in 1984, Rocío Molina began her dance training at age three. Lauded as a flamenco prodigy, Molina received national attention for her technique and artistry by age 11 and graduated with honors from the Real Conservatorio de Danza de Madrid at 18. As a dancer and choreographer for numerous companies, she performed at Jacob’s Pillow in 2003 with Compañía María Pagés and also as a soloist in Flamenco Festival U.S.A. London’s The Independent writes that Molina “seems to pull her movements up from the depths. Her dancing pours out, rich and weighted.” Throughout her career she has received numerous awards including Most Outstanding Dancer at the XI Certamen de Coreografía y Danza de Madrid in 2002, the Critic’s Award to the Best Flamenco Dancer 2006 and 2007 by Flamenco de Hoy and the Press Award to the Best Dancer at the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla in 2008.
Jacob’s Pillow has a long history of presenting flamenco dance, beginning with the Ted Shawn Theatre's inaugural season in 1942, when La Argentinita headlined a program that acknowledged her role in developing Spanish dance as a concert form. La Meri and the Ximenez-Vargas Company were frequent guests in the 1950s and 1960s, Teodoro Morca Flamenco performed in the 1970s, Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco in the 1980s and 1990s, José Greco II Flamenco Dance Company in 1998, and Ballet Flamenco Eva Yerbabuena in 2006. The School at Jacob’s Pillow has also recognized the vitality of the flamenco tradition with programs devoted to expanding the education of flamenco artists. In 2008, The School offered a flamenco program under the direction of Martín Santangelo and Soledad Barrio of Noche Flamenca.
For more information and video previews, visit www.jacobspillow.org.
Performance and Ticket Information
Wednesday, June 24 through Saturday, June 27, 8pm.
Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, 2pm.
· Tickets are $58 each, with discounts available for subscribers, seniors, students, and children age 16 and under. $10 Youth Matinée tickets are available Saturday and Sunday.
· Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob’s Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered at Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
· Thursday, June 25, members of the ensemble will participate in a moderated Post-Show Talk on stage immediately following the performance.
· Box Office hours: Monday through Saturday, 10am – 6pm, and Sunday 11am – 6pm.
· To purchase by phone, call the Box Office at 413.243.0745. To order online: www.jacobspillow.org.
· Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member call 413.243.9919 x24.
Jacob’s Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket, MA, 01223 (10 minutes east on Route 20 from Mass Pike Exit 2). The Jacob’s Pillow campus and theaters are handicapped-accessible.
