Recently, Florida State University and the School of Dance were prominently represented at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, one of the world’s premier destinations for dance performance, scholarship, and artistic exchange. From the creation and performance of a major work to scholarly engagement surrounding the production, Florida State alumni played leading artistic and educational roles.
Florida State University College of Fine Arts Dean James Frazier served as a Scholar in Residence at Jacob’s Pillow, presenting pre-show lectures in conjunction with a series of performances by the acclaimed ensemble Urban Bush Women (UBW), leading a post-show discussion with performers, and conducting a public conversation with UBW Founder/Artistic Director and Florida State University Robert O. Lawton Professor Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.
Jacob’s Pillow, also known as “the Pillow,” is home to America’s longest-running international dance festival. Located on a 220-acre National Historic Landmark in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, the festival welcomes thousands of visitors each summer and presents more than 500 free performances by over 50 dance companies from around the world.
From July 1 through July 5, Jacob’s Pillow presented six performances of SCAT!… The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar, a Bessie Award-nominated dance-driven musical conceived, written, directed, and co-choreographed by Zollar.
The production also highlighted the contributions of numerous Florida State School of Dance alumni. In addition to Zollar, alumni working in artistic and leadership roles included Vincent E. Thomas, co-choreographer; Cheri L. Stokes (MFA, ’17), associate artistic director; Bennalldra Williams (BFA ’05), rehearsal director and movement coach; Michelle Dorant (MFA ’96), interim executive director; and performers Du’Bois A’Keen (BFA ’14), Stephanie Battle (MFA ’25), and Kentoria Earle (BFA ’18). The production’s lighting was designed by FSU Dance Emeritus Professor Russell Sandifer.
Named by DanceUS as the best dance school in Florida, the FSU School of Dance prepares students for careers in the field through an environment that fosters exceptional training, artistic practice, and scholarship. Learn more about the School of Dance at dance.fsu.edu.
To learn more about Jacob’s Pillow and its programming, visit JacobsPillow.org.