Festival Wraps Up with World Premiere Photos
It’s the last week of Jacob’s Pillow’s 80th Anniversary Season, and I found myself scrambling from one dress rehearsal to the other trying to squeeze in documentation of both mainstage performances. I was so excited/nostalgic about the fact that this is the last week of the summer, and I WANTED IT ALL!!
I loved the Joffrey Ballet‘s program. They danced Bells by former Bolshoi Ballet dancer and San Francisco Ballet choreographer Yuri Possokhov, Age of Innocence by Edwaard Liang, and Son of Chamber Symphony, a world premiere by Stanton Welch. It’s always exciting to shoot world premieres and know that my photos will be the first ones showcasing a dance. It makes me nervous and psyched. The tutus in this work are exquisite and were so fun to photograph.
Victoria Jaiani and Miguel Angel Blanco of The Joffrey Ballet in Son of Chamber Symphony
And Doug Elkins & Friends Returns as a Fan Favorite
I rushed from photographing the Joffrey to capture images of Doug Elkins and Friends’ Fraulein Maria. Doug Elkins is a friend, and I know a many of his dancers. (We’re so close with his company manager, in fact, she came to our wedding!) I photographed this work a few years ago when they first performed it at the Pillow, and I loved seeing how tight the show remains. A few new tweaks kept the choreography fresh for me. It’s hilarious and makes you feel good to be in the theater. I witnessed an older patron laughing hysterically last night as she made her way from the Doris Duke Theater to the parking lot. Loved to see how much she loved it!
Hilarity in Doug Elkins and Friends' "Fraulein Maria"
More Dance Photos to Come
I always have a huge gallery of work from the Pillow each summer, and I still have a few pet projects to share. Stay tuned for more from my Natural Light Studio and a special “Then & Now” post dedicated to the festival’s rich history.
