Images in order (1) by 6-Prime, (2) by Guy Delahaye, (3) by Ben Rudick, (4) by Marta Fodor (5) by Julia Yue Zhou; all courtesy of Jacob's Pillow,
Story by Joseph Alexiou
Western Massachusetts and Eastern upstate New York are stupendous during the springtime—every tree and flower swells with color. Beyond their beauty, the Berkshires are also a cultured playground of dance, music and art. Jacobs Pillow, a former dance retreat that is home to a world-renowned annual summer dance festival, is a great getaway for the urbane, artistic, and open minded: the perfect LGBT weekend away if you live in most major northeast cities, and enjoy a nice car-ride in the country.
Situated near the hilly enclaves of Becket and Lee, MA, Jacobs Pillow is a National Historic Landmark that was to Ted Shawn's Men Dancers in the 1930s. Shawn, a co-founder of Jacob's Pillow along with his wife Ruth St. Denis, helped define a particular brand of modern dance and gained country-wide and world renown. Although was the longtime partner of Barton Mumaw, the principal dancer of Shawn's company, St. Denis and Shawn celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at Jacob's Pillow in 1964.
This year's festival will take place from June through August, and includes free performances and ticketed events from some of the worlds most talented dancers. However, Spring visitors can tour the campus and watch open rehearsals for free, a double treat of nature's beauty, be it flora or fauna! The Jacob's Pillow website lists several lovely country inns for those interesting in staying a few nights, and all of area bed & breakfasts' are gay friendly.
The surrounding Berkshire towns—Great Barrington, Lee, Stockbridge, Lenox, and Beckett—are themselves beautiful, friendly places with fantastic architecture from every era since the late 17th century. There are bountless antique stores, markets, boutiques and galleries; pockets of hippie culture and great restaurants—including plenty of vegetarian and organic options. Also home to the Tanglewood festival, the Berkshires have long been a destination for queer travelers and artists of all denominations, and can as welcoming to us as the big cities that the area falls between.
