Norton Owen's 50-Year Legacy at Jacob's Pillow

Strategic Insights -

Norton Owen, a young dancer from Alabama, made a serendipitous discovery in 1977 at Jacob's Pillow, a prestigious summer festival in the Berkshires. While working at the box office, he stumbled upon trunks containing costumes from Denishawn, a pioneering modern dance company. This chance find sparked Owen's passion for preserving dance history, and he has since dedicated his career to connecting the past and present at Jacob's Pillow. Celebrating his 50th anniversary at the festival, Owen has become an iconic figure, curating exhibitions, overseeing archives, and sharing his knowledge with audiences worldwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • Norton Owen began his career at Jacob's Pillow in 1977, working at the box office and later becoming the festival's unofficial historian.
  • In 1990, Owen's role as historian was officially acknowledged, and he became the director of preservation.
  • Over the past 50 years, Owen has curated over 100 exhibitions, including "Mevlevi Dervish" by Mark Morris, and has worked with notable dancers, such as Freddie Franklin and Michelle Dorrance.
  • Owen's online collection, Jacob's Pillow Interactive, was launched in 2007 and features a vast array of dance-related resources, including videos, essays, and playlists.
  • Under Owen's leadership, the festival has expanded its online presence, with a redesigned website and upcoming commissioning of artist projects for online consumption.
  • Owen has witnessed significant changes in the dance world, including increased recognition of non-Western dance forms and a rise in appreciation for tap dance.
  • Notable moments from Owen's career include getting Mark Morris to perform a Ted Shawn solo and curating an exhibition of John Sprung's photographs.

Statistics:

  • 50 years: The length of Owen's tenure at Jacob's Pillow.
  • 100: The approximate number of exhibitions curated by Owen over the past five decades.
  • 30: The number of trunks containing costumes from Denishawn, discovered by Owen in 1977.
  • 1990: The year Owen's role as historian was officially acknowledged.
  • 2007: The year Jacob's Pillow Interactive was launched.
  • 2015: The year the online collection was redesigned.
  • 1982: The year Owen began filming performances at the festival.

Sources:

  • "Norton Owen Marks 50 Years at Jacob's Pillow, A Dance Institution" by Wendy Perron
  • "Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Celebrates 90 Years" by Louis B. Schwartz
  • "Norton Owen and Jacob's Pillow: A Legacy of Dance" by Ellen Appelbaum
  • "The Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival" by Nancy Zoller