FOR 50 SEASONS at Jacob’ s Pillow, Norton Owen has ensured that every pirouette, jeté, and moment of artistic brilliance is remembered, celebrated, and passed forward. As the Pillow’ s director of preservation, Owen isn ' t just an archivist— he ' s a mythmaker, a historian, and a guardian of memories who has dedicated his life to preserving the ephemeral art of dance.
FOR 50 SEASONS at Jacob’ s Pillow, Norton Owen has ensured that every pirouette, jeté, and moment of artistic brilliance is remembered, celebrated, and passed forward. As the Pillow’ s director of preservation, Owen isn ' t just an archivist— he ' s a mythmaker, a historian, and a guardian of memories who has dedicated his life to preserving the ephemeral art of dance.
This summer, a special exhibition titled Connecting Through Time will pay tribute to Owen ' s extraordinary contributions. Opening June 14 at Blake ' s Barn on the Pillow campus, the exhibition is a carefully crafted narrative that embodies Owen ' s unique approach to preserving dance history. The exhibit— which is free and unticketed— is planned by guest curator Wendy Perron, who was an instructor and commissioned choreographer at the Pillow in the 1980s and who also served as associate director in the 1990s. The exhibition will feature more than 120 objects— rare photographs, intricate costumes, and even delicate assemblages of embalmed butterflies and small bugs created by modern dance legend Paul Taylor who would give them to dancers as tokens of gratitude. A collaborative labor of love, Perron worked closely with Patsy Gay, the Pillow ' s archivist who was trained by Owen himself, and Laura DiRado as designer. Together, they have assembled a display that tells a rich, nuanced story of dance history. " I hope people will feel this exhibit at different levels," Perron says. " From the heart, from the bones, from the brain, and even the legs. I hope they feel their whole selves involved." To celebrate Norton Owen’ s remarkable 50 years of contributions at Jacob’ s Pillow, this year he received the prestigious Jacob ' s Pillow Dance Award— a fitting tribute to a man who has redefined what it means to preserve dance history. The special presentation of the 2025 Jacob’ s Pillow Dance Award will be made at the Pillow’ s Season Opening Gala on June 21. Past recipients of the award include Camille A. Brown, Bill T. Jones, and Merce Cunningham.
Opposite page, Norton Owen danced in Echoes from the Tempest in 1977 choreographed by Norman Walker and performed on the Ted Shawn Stage. This page, Owen’ s gotta dance, too, at the 2018 exhibition,“ Gotta Dance,” at Jacob’ s Pillow.
The Exhibition, Connecting Through Time: 50 Seasons with Norton Owen
Built on three fundamental principles that Norton pioneered— juxtaposing old and new, uplifting dance artists, and making history an active part of the present day at Jacob’ s Pillow— the exhibit promises to be a compelling experience. Perron ' s curatorial approach is both systematic and playful. Perron describes how much fun she’ s had curating what she calls“ inspired by Norton.” She has enjoyed creating her own juxtapositions, sifting through the Pillow’ s archives and making connections— pairing images of dancers leaping or floating in similar ways. Through her eye, she’ s crafted these thoughtful links, hoping they will help visitors see new connections and deepen their understanding of the Pillow’ s rich history. Reflecting on Owen’ s long-standing dedication to enhancing the audience’ s connection to the art, Perron explains that he has always thought about how to enrich their experience. She recounts that, during his early tenure at the Pillow in 1977, he found ways to deepen performances taking out costumes from storage, displaying historical items— all to help audiences connect more deeply with the art. Perron explains how Owen sparks new artistic experiences by drawing on his deep archival knowledge, inspiring dancers to explore fresh creative directions. Reflecting on a moment when Owen suggested that Taylor Stanley perform“ Mourners Bench,” a Talley Beatty piece from the 1940s, she says,“ This is one of the ways that Norton instigates. He makes things happen just by pulling up the archives and being so close to the history.”
The Accidental Archivist
Owen ' s journey to becoming the heart and soul of Jacob ' s Pillow ' s archives is a story of serendipity and passion. In 1976, he arrived as a young dance student, wide-eyed and curious, with no inkling that he would become the custodian of one of the most important dance archives in the world. Those early days were marked by unexpected encounters that would shape his career. " When I first arrived at the Pillow, everything felt like a discovery," Owen recalls, his eyes lighting up with the same enthusiasm that has driven him for decades. " The place was rich with untold stories, waiting to be uncovered.” His transformative moment came through conversations with legends like Jess Meeker, the composer and accompanist for the pioneering all-male dance
CHRISTOPHER DUGGAN
May Holiday / June 2023 2025 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // // 87