Jacob’s Pillow Dance

Name

Jacob’s Pillow Dance

Legal name

Jacob's Pillow

Website

https://jacobspillow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts & Dance Festival

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth/Student & Community Dance Recitals (MPAGADAI)

Keywords

• International dance festival
• Dance education programs
• Artist residency programs
• Professional dance training
• Performing arts venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Becket

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticketed performances at Ted Shawn Theatre, Doris Duke Theatre, and Henry J. Leir Stage. Includes indoor and outdoor performances, workshops, and special events.
2. Memberships: Annual memberships starting at $90/year providing benefits including early ticket access, exclusive events, and discounts. Multiple membership tiers available.
3. Donations and Annual Fund: Philanthropic contributions supporting festival programming, artist residencies, The School, archives preservation, and campus maintenance.
4. Advertising: Revenue from Festival Guidebook print ads (ranging from $450 business cards to $8,000 back covers) and digital screen ads during the 10-week festival.
5. Space Rentals and Event Hosting: Rental revenue from weddings, corporate events, galas, film productions, artist residencies, and total campus buyouts. Includes on-site lodging accommodations.
6. Educational Programs: Tuition and fees from The School at Jacob's Pillow programs, Curriculum in Motion Institute ($2,450 program fee), and Jacob's Pillow 360 workshops/intensives.
7. Sponsorships and Business Partnerships: Business packages and sponsorship arrangements connecting companies with Pillow audiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Jacob's Pillow Dance is a nonprofit performing arts institution that presents America's longest-running international dance festival alongside year-round programming including ticketed performances, professional dance training at The School, artist residencies through The Pillow Lab, archival preservation, community education programs, and venue/event rentals at its 225-acre National Historic Landmark campus in Becket, Massachusetts. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, memberships, tuition, donations, sponsorships, advertising, and space rentals, supplemented by digital streaming and podcast platforms that extend its reach globally.

Product overview

Jacob's Pillow is a dance institution offering a multi-faceted portfolio centered around its flagship annual Festival—the oldest international dance festival in America—alongside professional training at The School at Jacob's Pillow, year-round residencies through The Pillow Lab, and extensive digital platforms including Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive, Jacob's Pillow On Demand streaming, and the PillowVoices Podcast. The institution also operates physical venues (Ted Shawn Theatre, Doris Duke Theatre, Henry J. Leir Stage), maintains The Archives in Blake's Barn, and delivers educational programs including the Curriculum in Motion Institute and College Partnership Program. The 2025 opening of the reimagined Doris Duke Theatre marked a major milestone, establishing one of the world's most technologically advanced dance theaters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival America's largest and longest-running international dance festival, a 10-week annual event featuring 50+ dance companies on indoor and outdoor stages, with 500+ free performances, talks, parties, and special events, drawing 40,000+ on-site visitors.
• The School at Jacob's Pillow One of the most prestigious professional dance training centers in the U.S., offering pre-professional and professional training programs concurrent with the summer Festival in disciplines including Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Tap, and Ballet, plus Jacob's Pillow 360 workshops and intensives held nationwide.
• The Pillow Lab Year-round residency program offering developmental, technical production, and technology residencies for choreographers and dance artists, supporting creation of new work with studio space, technical resources, and retreat environment.
• Jacob's Pillow Archives Extensive collection housed in Blake's Barn documenting 90+ years of dance history, including audiotapes, board minutes, books, correspondence, costumes, films, photographs, posters, programs, scrapbooks, and videos, with online catalog access.
• Curriculum in Motion Institute Career development program for choreographers and dance educators that strengthens artistic voice with community focus, awarding a Certificate in the Curriculum in Motion Method; Curriculum in Motion Fellows co-teach in Berkshire County public schools.
• College Partnership Program Membership program for higher education dance programs, faculty, and students, providing access to the Archives, behind-the-scenes showings, priority internship notifications, and Faculty Research Fellowship opportunities.
• Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive Digital platform offering an ever-growing collection of articles and dance videos filmed at Jacob's Pillow from the 1930s to present, organized into curated playlists and themed essays.
• Jacob's Pillow On Demand Global streaming platform providing on-demand access to talks, documentaries, and full-length dance performances from Jacob's Pillow, including free livestreams during the summer Festival.
• PillowVoices Podcast Podcast series bringing listeners closer to notable dance artists connected with Jacob's Pillow from 1933 to today, drawing on archival recordings, personal stories, and expert narration.
• Venue and Event Rentals Event hosting at the 225-acre National Historic Landmark site, including weddings, corporate events, galas, film productions, and full campus buyouts with on-site lodging and catering options.
• Reimagined Doris Duke Theatre State-of-the-art dance theater opened in 2025 with advanced technological capacity to serve as a living lab for dance innovation, including movement capture, VR experiences, and emerging technology residencies.
• Ted Shawn Theatre Historic indoor theater at Jacob's Pillow named after festival founder Ted Shawn, hosting major performances by world-renowned dance companies with $6.50 per-ticket facility fee.
• Henry J. Leir Stage Outdoor stage at Jacob's Pillow hosting performances, community events, and Festival programming with $3.50 per-ticket facility fee.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership program starting at $90/year providing early ticket access, exclusive events, discounts, and priority reservations for Festival performances and year-round programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ annual visitors to the Festival
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Higher Education Institutions (College Partnership Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of dance programs, departments, and institutions partnering with Jacob's Pillow for exclusive access to Archives, behind-the-scenes showings, priority internship notifications, and professional development opportunities. Includes both institutional ($300/year) and individual ($100/year) partnership tiers.
• International Dance Companies and ArtistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtists from Canada, United Kingdom, Norway, Indonesia, Korea, and Taiwan participate in Festival programming, representing international dance excellence and cross-cultural exchange.
• Berkshire County Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurriculum in Motion Fellows are paired with Institute Directors to co-teach in local public schools, deepening understanding of dance integration methodology through real-world application.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Dance Festival: Durham, NC-based international dance festival presenting companies and offering training programs. Direct peer as a multi-week summer dance festival with educational programming and artist residencies, comparable in scope to Jacob's Pillow's annual festival.
• Bates Dance Festival: Maine-based summer dance festival presenting professional companies and offering training programs for dancers. Direct peer given its similar model of presenting world-class companies alongside intensive educational programming in a New England setting.
• The Yard: Martha's Vineyard-based dance and choreography residency organization. Direct peer as a New England institution focused on dance creation, residencies, and community programming with similar artist-development mission to the Pillow Lab.
• Battery Dance Festival: NYC-based free outdoor dance festival presenting companies from around the world. Direct peer given its festival programming of international and emerging dance companies comparable to Jacob's Pillow's summer lineup.
• Baryshnikov Arts Center: NYC performing arts venue and residency program supporting dance, theater, and music artists. Direct peer given its residency-driven model, artist development focus, and presentation of innovative performances comparable to Pillow Lab programming.
• The Joyce Theater: NYC's premier dance-dedicated presenting venue featuring ballet, modern, and international companies. Direct peer as a year-round dance presenter attracting the same international companies that perform at Jacob's Pillow's Festival.
• Pilobolus: Connecticut-based dance company with pioneering residency and creative development programs. Direct peer given its combined performance, residency, and educational model that overlaps with Jacob's Pillow's Pillow Lab and School programs.

Regional players

• MASS MoCA: Major contemporary arts institution in North Adams, MA in the Berkshires cultural region. Regional peer operating in the same Western Massachusetts cultural tourism ecosystem, drawing overlapping audiences to the area for arts experiences.
• Tanglewood (Boston Symphony Orchestra): Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer festival in Lenox, MA in the Berkshires. Regional peer as a major summer performing arts destination in the same geographic region, competing for the same cultural tourist audience during the summer season.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: NYC's premier multi-disciplinary performing arts campus presenting dance, music, theater, and opera. Broad incumbent as a larger institution presenting many of the same international dance companies that perform at Jacob's Pillow's Festival.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/JacobsPillow
• Facebookfacebook.com/jacobspillowdance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jacobspillow/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/jacobspillow
• TikToktiktok.com/@jacobspillow
• Xx.com/jacobspillow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jacob’s Pillow Dance