Melanie George, jazz dance scholar, choreographer and dramaturge, hosts this episode. She offers an insightful historical overview and then dives into an exploration of this uniquely American art form. From the  origins through the evolutions, George weaves the story of jazz dance with rarely heard clips, selected from the Jacob's Pillow archive, of Veta Goler (speaking about Dianne McIntyre),  Moncell Durden, Camille A. Brown, Danny Buraczeski, and Billy Siegenfeld.

Dance Theater of Harlem: An Homage to the Work of Arthur Mitchell

PillowVoices: Dance Through Time brings listeners closer to notable dance artists connected with Jacob's Pillow, from 1933 to today. Each piece exemplifies Jacob's Pillow's mission to 'support dance creation, presentation, education, and preservation; and to engage and deepen public appreciation and support for dance' by utilizing archival recordings brought to life in the personal stories and narration of current thought-leaders and scholars. Jacob's Pillow, lauded by The New York Times as "the dance center of the nation," is a National Historic Landmark, a recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, and home to America’s longest-running international dance festival, located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.  

PillowVoices is directed and produced by Jennifer Edwards. Ellis Rovin is composer and engineer. Music for the opening is by J.S. Bach and the closing theme is by Jess Meeker, both performed by Meeker. Content curator is Norton Owen, and associate curator is Patsy Gay.