Turn Park Art Space to present Gina Bashour
West Stockbridge — Dancer and Berkshire native Gina Bashour will return to the Berkshires to premiere “Unraveled,” a site-specific dance performance at Turn Park Art Space, Saturday, Aug. 25, and Sunday, Aug, 26, at noon and 3 p.m.
“Unraveled” weaves together themes and imagery from the fable of Rumpelstiltskin with a look at current relationships of men and women with the community around them. “Unraveled” guides audiences through an interactive dance performance as dancers and musicians lead them through the architecture of Turn Park’s sculpture garden. Audiences will enjoy an approximately 35-minute experience in close contact with the natural elements. Attendees are invited to a reception Saturday, Aug. 25, immediately following the second performance for drinks and refreshments and the opportunity to meet the choreographer, dancers and musicians as well as to share thoughts on the experience.
Bashour is a choreographer and performance artist with over 20 years of experience as a professional dancer, choreographer, teacher and coach. Native to the Berkshires and based in New York, she was a founding member and performed both nationally and internationally with Palissimo Dance Theatre, Ashleigh Leite and Kinesis Project. She has also performed and collaborated with Jody Oberfelder, Alethea Adsitt and Company, Alberto Denis, and others. She studied at Jacob’s Pillow and the American Dance Festival and holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from Adelphi University.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and free for Turn Park members and children under 12. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Turn Park art Space at (413) 232-0275 or info@turnpark.com.
–E.E.
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Berkshires Jazz to hold first annual Berkshire Jazz Showcase
Pittsfield — Berkshires Jazz will present five popular regional bands in its first annual Berkshire Jazz Showcase at the First Street Common Saturday, Aug. 25, from 1 to 6 p.m. The lineup will feature the Lucky 5 at 1 p.m., Gruppo Mondo at 2 p.m., the Benny Kohn Quartet at 3 p.m., the Jason Ennis Quintet with vocalist Natalia Bernal at 4 p.m. and Andy Kelly Gypsy Jazz at 5 p.m. The event will also feature consumables available from Assembly Coffee Roasters, Balderdash Cellars, Ernie’s Hot Dog Cart, Lucia’s Latin Kitchen, Wandering Star Craft Brewery and others.
Thanks to recent films such as “La La Land” and “Whiplash,” jazz is being discussed and heard more broadly than ever. Accentuating the local nature of the music, both movies are human-interest stories that focus on local scenes, and Berkshires Jazz feels that the time is right to call attention to the area’s own musical riches.
The event is free and open to the public. Audience members are advised to bring blankets or chairs. For more information, contact Berkshires Jazz at web@berkshiresjazz.org.
–E.E.
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Sheffield Historical Society to hold Heritage Festival and Family Feast
Sheffield — On Saturday, Aug. 25, from 5 to 8 p.m., the Sheffield Historical Society will host its annual Heritage Festival and Family Feast, which carries on an age-old tradition of celebrating the harvest. The evening will begin with a tasting of Big Elm Brewing beer and hors d’oeuvres at 5 p.m. followed by an elegant sit-down dinner at 6 p.m. under tents amidst the historic buildings on the Society’s grounds. There will be assortment of meats from the Society’s 19th-century smokehouse, authentic historic side dishes, drinks and desserts to enjoy. Live music will be provided by Vance Cannon. The Milt Barnum Tool Museum will be open so attendees can view past kitchen and farming implements essential to bringing the bounty of the fields to the table.
Many of the dishes to be served date back to Colonial New England and will be prepared according to heirloom recipes, including brown bread, cornbread pudding and baked beans. Vegetarians can enjoy dishes such as tomato and onion salad, green beans, smoked corn-on-the-cob and potato salad. Carnivores will be in heaven with the smokehouse fired up for an endless array of meats including ribs, ham, pork loin, bacon, drumsticks, steak and more. Dessert will include assorted cobblers, bread pudding and ice cream.
Tickets for the festival are $35 in advance, $40 at the door, $9 for children ages 4 to 11, and free for children ages 3 and under. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Sheffield Historical Society at (413) 229-2694 or sheffieldhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
–E.E.
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Guild of Berkshire artists to hold art show
West Stockbridge — The Guild of Berkshire Artists will hold its annual art show and sale at the 1854 Town Hall, 9 Main St., for two weekends: Thursday, Aug. 23, through Sunday, Aug. 26; and Thursday, Aug. 30, through Sunday, Sept. 2.
The show features the latest painting, photography, ceramics and other art by local Guild members. All works will be for sale. A reception will take place Saturday, Aug. 25, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Visitors will also be able to view the latest in the West Stockbridge Historical Society’s restoration of the 1854 Town Hall.
For more information, contact the Guild of Berkshire Artists at berkshireartists@gmail.com.
–E.E.
