Downtown Pittsfield Announces Free Summer Dance Series

12:00PM / Saturday, May 31, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. has announced "Rhythmscape," a free outdoor summer dance series. The events will take place on Dunham Mal on select Sunday afternoons from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, beginning June 1 and concluding Aug. 31.

Each "Rhythmscape" session will feature a different rhythm and instructor from the local community, reflecting the diverse identities within Pittsfield. The series aims to activate public spaces in Downtown Pittsfield through inclusive dance and music events that celebrate community, movement, and cultural diversity. No prior dance experience is required to participate.

The schedule of instructors includes:

Sunday, June 1: BSKE Dance Community presents Prashad Abeysinghe with DJ Daniela Sthisel, offering beginner and intermediate level Bachata and Salsa lessons with social dancing.
Sunday, June 8: Tara Borgilt and Bruno Trindade will teach Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art.
Sunday, June 15: Sandra Zarate will teach Zumba.
Sunday, June 22: Luana Dias David will teach Salsa and Samba.
Sunday, June 29: Berkshire Sole Society, founded by Erica Shrader and powered by Women of the Westside+, will lead soul line dancing.
Sunday, July 13: Sandra Zarate will teach Zumba.
Sunday, July 20: Luana Dias David will teach Salsa and Samba.
Sunday, July 27: Luana Dias David will teach Salsa and Samba.
Sunday, August 10: Andres Ramirez from the Funk Box Dance Studio will teach hip-hop.
Sunday, August 17: Andres Ramirez from the Funk Box Dance Studio will teach hip-hop.
Sunday, August 24: Mica Farias and Manu Uriona will present a fusion of Latin rhythms with live percussion.
Sunday, August 31: BSKE Dance Community presents Prashad Abeysinghe with DJ Jeffrey Jay, offering beginner and intermediate level Bachata and Salsa lessons with social dancing.

This series is supported by MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Cohort program in partnership with Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and Mill Town Foundation. For more information, interested individuals can visit downtownpittsfield.com/2025/05/rhythmscape or call Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. at 413-443-6501.

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Pittsfield Schools Schedule Morningside, Budget Hearings This Week

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Monday, April 06, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will hold another public hearing for the potential closure of Morningside Community School.

On Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m., community members will have the chance to give feedback in the Reid Middle School library. Last month, the Pittsfield Public Schools announced the possible closure of Morningside, which serves elementary grades, for the 2026-2027 school year and redistribution of its students to other city schools.

In the last couple of weeks, the district has solicited input from employees and community members through meetings at the school.

Morningside Community School was built in the mid-1970s with an open classroom concept. Morningside serves about 374 students and has a 7 percent accountability score, outperformed by 93 percent of the state.

For fiscal year 2027, the district has allocated about $5.2 million for the school. The committee has also requested a version of the proposed $87.2 million district budget with Morningside closed.

Pittsfield has another open concept school, Conte Community School, that is planned to consolidate with Crosby Elementary School, and possibly Stearns Elementary School, in a new building on the Crosby site by 2030. The status of the project's owner's project manager will be discussed on Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m. at Taconic High School during the School Building Needs Commission meeting.

That leaves the school officials wondering if Morningside students could have better educational outcomes if resources followed them to other nearby schools. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips has stressed that a decision has not yet been made.

Considerations for the school’s closure include: The feasibility of the facility to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment with an open campus design, the funding allocation needed to ensure Morningside students can have equitable learning opportunities, and declining enrollment across Pittsfield elementary schools.