Community Day at Jacob's Pillow: A Free Friday of Dance, Classes, and Local Talent
Movement classes, kids' activities, and a Berkshire-region performance on the Henry J. Leir Stage cap the 94th season's outreach programming.
Friday, August 14 | Becket, MA | Free
Jacob's Pillow hosts its annual Community Day on August 14, a free, kid-friendly, all-ages afternoon featuring movement classes, dance-themed children's activities, and campus tours. At 5:30pm, the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage presents a one-day-only performance by selected Berkshire-region dance artists. Free tickets to the 5:30pm performance are available now; the daytime programming is free and non-ticketed.
Community Day has become a fixture of the Pillow's summer season, offering a low-barrier entry point for people who might not otherwise attend a ticketed performance. This year's edition falls within an expanded slate of public programming across the 94th annual Dance Festival, which runs June 24 through August 30 and includes free weekly classes, guided historic tours, "PillowTalks," and livestreamed performances alongside its ticketed main-stage shows. Artistic and Executive Director Pamela Tatge has framed the broader 2026 season around the country's 250th anniversary, with programming built to honor groundbreaking women in American dance across the past century.
The Leir Stage lineup around Community Day includes performances from The School at Jacob's Pillow's Contemporary Ballet, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre ensembles, alongside touring companies from across the country and abroad—this season's roster includes San Francisco Ballet's first Pillow appearance in 70 years, Akram Khan Company's first return in 20 years, and Martha Graham Dance Company marking its 100th anniversary as the nation's oldest dance company.
Jacob's Pillow, 358 George Carter Rd., Becket, MA. Free tickets to the 5:30pm performance at jacobspillow.org.
Written by
After a decade of writing for RI (along with many other publications and organizations) Jamie took over as editor in 2025. He has a masters in journalism from NYU, a wonderful wife, two kids and a Carolina dog named Zelda.
