Simon’s Rock presents annual dance concert
Great Barrington— On Friday, December 8th and Saturday, December 9th at 7 p.m., Bard College at Simon’s Rock’s Dance Program will present their annual fall dance concert.
The choreography presented in the dance concert comes from the minds of Simon’s Rock’s students and faculty. This annual concert will feature a number of group and solo performances choreographed and rehearsed over the 2023 fall semester. The Simon’s Rock Dance Program and Concert is directed by Kati Garcia-Renart, Assistant Professor of Dance.
The concert is on Friday, December 8th and Saturday, December 9th at 7 p.m. in the McConnell Theater of the Daniel Arts Center at Simon’s Rock on Alford Road in Great Barrington. It is free and open to the public. More information can be found online.
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MASS MoCA and Jacob’s Pillow co-present Maxine Lyle’s ‘Step Show: The Musical’
North Adams— On Saturday, December 9th at 8 p.m., MASS MoCA and Jacob’s Pillow co-present Maxine Lyle’s ‘Step Show: The Musical’ at MASS MoCA.
Initially developed at MASS MoCA in 2021, Maxine Lyle’s new work ‘Step Show: The Musical’ is a two-act theatrical production – currently a work-in-progress. Infusing body percussion with hip-hop, R&B, and soul, this intergenerational coming-of-age story takes a riveting ride through the world of step dance and its imprint on Black culture. The characters usher the audience into the atmosphere of a traditional step show, inviting them to join in raucous verbal and rhythmic call and responses and tune their ears to heavy, bass-driven beats. “Step Show” considers the stakes for self and community when the transference of a powerful oral and physical lineage is lost or interrupted in Black bodies and Black spaces.
The presentation is on Saturday, December 9th at 8 p.m. in the Hunter Center at MASS MoCA on MASS MoCA Way in North Adams. Tickets are $10 to $30. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Dance Lab presents Ecstatic Dance with Omar Aena at Race Brook Lodge
Sheffield— On Sunday, December 10th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Dance Lab presents the monthly Ecstatic Dance gathering with DJ Omar Aena at Race Brook Lodge.
Omar Aena is a world-music DJ, community organizer, and event producer of Iraqi descent. Omar is the founder of Dance Lab, a Brooklyn-based collective that explores dance as a form of somatic therapy. As a DJ, Omar mixes together traditional world music with electronic sounds, with a particular focus on songs from his middle-eastern heritage plus hip hop from his upbringing in New York City.
Come with an open heart, wear comfortable clothing for movement, and bring socks.This will be a safe and inclusive space welcoming people from all walks of life to freely express themselves through movement. No prior dance experience is required, just come as you are.
The workshop is on Sunday, December 10th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Barnspace at Race Brook Lodge on South Undermountain Road in Sheffield. Admission is $20. This workshop is open for everybody in all levels of experience. Tickets armor information can be found online.
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David M. Hunt Library presents the 12th edition of the ‘12×12’ group art exhibition
Falls Village— On Saturday December 9th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village will host the 12th edition of “12X12”, its annual art exhibition and sale which features over 60 artists this year. All works in the exhibition measure 12 inches by 12 inches and are priced at $150 each.
The event is on Saturday December 9th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the David M. Hunt Library on Main Street in Falls Village. More information can be found online.
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Clark Art Institute hosts Williams College Chamber Music Gala
Williamstown— On Friday, December 8th at 7 p.m., the Clark Art Institute hosts a concert by the Williams College Music Department.
The Chamber Music Gala presents an afternoon of exceptional chamber music. The program of piano, string, and wind chamber music showcases students performing selections from the semester’s chamber music collaborations.
This free concert is on Friday, December 8th at 7 p.m. in the auditorium in the Manton Research Center at the Clark Art Institute on South Street in Williamstown. No registration is required.
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Crandell Theatre presents ‘High Noon’s Hidden Backstory’ to shed light on blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman
Chatham— On Saturday, December 9th at 7 p.m., the Crandell Theatre presents “High Noon’s Hidden Backstory” about blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman.
The documentary short “High Noon on the Waterfront” (2022) and a special screening of the 1952 film “High Noon”, starring Gary Cooper, will be introduced by acclaimed historian and Kinderhook resident Dr. Amanda Foreman, FRSA. Following the screenings, Dr. Foreman will discuss her father’s time during the McCarthy era with author Peter Biskind, a Crandell board member.
“High Noon”, written by Carl Foreman, is an untraditional Western starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly and Katy Jurado. The film eschews familiar Western tropes like chases on horseback, saloon fights and breathtaking vistas for more immediate, emotional scenes that culminate in a dramatic final act. The heroine (Kelly) even rescues the hero (Cooper), which upset several critics in the buttoned-up 1950s. But the film’s backstory is even wilder. John Wayne declined the leading role after reading Foreman’s script, which he felt was a thinly veiled screed against blacklisting, something Wayne vociferously supported during the House Un-American Activities Committee Hearings led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. Cooper won an Academy Award that year for his role, but didn’t attend the ceremony. John Wayne, of all people, accepted the Oscar on his behalf.
The event is on Saturday, December 9th at 7 p.m. at the Crandell Theatre on Main Street in Chatham. Tickets are $20. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Senator Mark announces December staff office hours in Berkshire County
Berkshire— State Senator Paul W. Mark announced that his staff will host office hours at five locations in Berkshire County in December. Residents of any of the 57 municipalities in the Senator’s Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District are encouraged to ask for assistance with issues involving any state agency or to share ideas on current or potential state legislation. Appointments are not required.
The office hours are as follows:
- Adams: Tuesday, December 5, and Tuesday, December 19, from 9 a.m. to noon. Town Hall, 8 Park Street in Adams.
- Dalton: Monday, December 4, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.. Senior Center, 40 Field Street in Dalton.
- Great Barrington: Monday, December 4, and Monday, December 18, from 9 a.m. to noon. Town Hall, 334 Main Street in Great Barrington.
- North Adams: Tuesday, December 5, and Tuesday, December 19, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. MCLA Alumni Relations Building, 228 E. Main Street in North Adams.
- Pittsfield: Wednesday, December 6, from 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, December 7, from noon to 3 p.m., and Wednesday, December 13, and Thursday, December 14, from 9 a.m. to noon. District Office, 773 Tyler Street in Pittsfield.
