College of Design, Art & Performance

School of Theatre & Dance Alumna, Shelby Russ ’23 Selected for Prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2023

Congratulations to Shelby Russ ’22 on having her work invited to be performed at on August 17th on the Henry J. Leir Stage. Shelby’s work was one of only five works selected from the 2023 National College Dance Festival held in May 2023.

Jacob’s Pillow is recognized worldwide as a “hub and mecca of dancing” (TIME Magazine), “one of America’s most precious cultural assets” (Mikhail Baryshnikov), and “the dance center of the nation” (The New York Times).

Home to America’s longest-running international dance festival, Jacob’s Pillow is a recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts and is a treasured 220-acre National Historic Landmark.

Each year thousands of people from across the U.S. and around the world travel to the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts to experience the and engage with more than 50 dance companies and 500 free performances, talks, and events.


About the American College Dance Association:

The American College Dance Association (ACDA) supports and promotes a wealth of talent and creativity from college and university dance departments. Each spring, ACDA hosts regional conferences around the country with performances, workshops, panels, and classes. At each conference, a panel of expert adjudicators selects works in an anonymous process to be performed at a gala performance which concludes the conference. The dances are choreographed by undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and guest artists. Selected works from each region are identified by regional adjudicators before highlights are selected for this performance at Jacob’s Pillow.