ABAKUA to perform at Jacob's Pillow Thursday 7/21/11

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: FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS CONTACT: : Toni Bolger, Marketing and Communication Assistant : tbolger@jacobspillow.org : 413.243.9919 x132 : -or- : Gary Su : garysu@abakuadancers.org : 917-488-8941 : ABAKUÁ AFRO-LATIN DANCE COMPANY TO PERFORM AS PART OF THE : INSIDE/OUT SERIES : AT JACOB’S PILLOW DANCE FESTIVAL : : Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the celebrated international dance organization and National Historic Landmark, presents ABAKUÁ Afro-Latin Dance Company (ABAKUÁ) as part of its Inside/Out series on : Thursday July 21st, 2011 at 6:15pm. : Described by The New Yorker as “a breathtaking outdoor stage overlooking the lush Berkshire hills,” Inside/Out performances have become a tradition for audiences from around the world. This season marks the opening of the new Henry J. Leir stage: ABAKUÁ will be one of the first dance companies to perform on this new stage. : Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, recent recipient of a prestigious National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama, presents both renowned and emerging dance companies and is considered one of the world’s premier arts festivals. The free Inside/Out series showcases a different dance company every day and features a panoramic view of the Berkshire hills as a backdrop for performances. Inside/Out performances take place at 6:15pm Wednesdays-Saturdays during the Festival and are free and open to the public. This performance series is part of the Pillow’s extensive audience engagement programming, which offers more than 200 free performances, events, talks, historic tours, and more. : “Our audiences love to see a wide variety of dance companies and styles and Inside/Out gives them the opportunity to see a multitude of very talented artists, without cost,” says Ella Baff, Jacob’s Pillow Executive and Artistic Director. “The companies that perform are carefully chosen for their artistic excellence and are an important part of the Pillow experience.” : “It is a tremendous honor to be invited to perform at Jacob’s Pillow for the 2011 season. ABAKUÁ is looking forward to bridging the gap between what audiences may expect from a Latin-based dance performance and offering a refreshing perspective through our unique dance style of Afro-Latin Funk,” says Frankie Martinez, ABAKUÁ’s Founder, Artistic Director and Choreographer. : The company will be performing selections from the company’s classic repertoire After Hour Funk and Children of a Groove. : In 2010, with support from the general public, Jacob’s Pillow raised enough funding to rebuild the stage at Inside/Out. Updates and improvements include the expanded stage with improved entrances and exits for artists, expanded artist dressing areas, a musician’s platform, new benches, and a public seating area re-graded for improved sightlines. Jacob’s Pillow will host the grand re-opening of the Marcia and Seymour Simon Performance Space and new Henry J. Leir Stage on June 22 at 5:45pm. : The 2011 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival includes 53 companies on three stages spanning the multifaceted genres of contemporary, tap, hip-hop, tango, ballet, traditional Korean dance, flamenco, samba, dance-theatre, Afro-Caribbean and more, with companies from Argentina, Cuba, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, and across the United States. The 2011 Festival runs June 18 through August 28, and features more than 110 ticketed events and 200 free events, including moderated interviews, film screenings and book signings with artists and celebrities such as composer David Lang and choreographer and artistic director Mark Morris; art and photography exhibits, including an exclusive Annie Leibovitz: DANCE photography exhibit; observations of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, one of the most prestigious professional advancement dance centers in the U.S.; special events, such as the Season Opening Gala; guided historical tours of the 163-acre National Historic Landmark; access to the videos, books, and dance treasures of the rare and extensive dance Archives; over 75 community dance classes designed to engage and educate dance audiences of all ages; and Festival performances for the whole family to enjoy. : For Festival ticket prices, Berkshires lodging information and complete details about Jacob’s Pillow visit jacobspillow.org. : : Jacob’s Pillow, celebrating its 79th anniversary in 2011, is home to a renowned international dance Festival that presents and commissions works of artists and companies from throughout the world. The School at Jacob’s Pillow encompasses a professional training program in the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in arts administration and production. The Pillow’s extensive Archives, open year-round to the public free of charge, chronicle more than a century of the often ephemeral art form of dance in photos, print, video, and more. The year-round Community Programs of