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08/17/2016 08:30 AMWhile Pam Tatge has lived in Madison for nearly three decades, since this past April she now spends some of her time in the Berkshires as the executive director of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. She’s had ties to Jacob’s Pillow for years as she had visited as a dance presenter during her career at Wesleyan University and enjoyed the festival in the past.
“There is no other dance festival that exists with such dialog with natural surroundings,” says Pam. “It is a great opportunity to lead an organization with such rich history and an opportunity to make a difference in this field of dance. To be a steward of this operation that is such a jewel is a great honor.”
According to the website jacobspillow.org, the mission of Jacob’s Pillow is “to support dance creation, presentation, education, and preservation; and to engage and deepen public appreciation and support for dance.” It is located on a 220-acre national historic landmark and home to the nation’s longest-running international dance festival. The Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival presents 20 companies in two theaters, as well as daily free outdoor performances on the Inside/Out Stage.
The 10-week festival runs through Aug. 28 and Pam notes that there are “amazing companies” scheduled during the remaining weeks. After the festival ends, Pam’s focus will turn to planning the school’s capital campaign. She will also work on planning on how to expand the school’s support for choreographers, educational programs, and community engagement. Pam also works with the board to develop resources.
“Jacob’s Pillow is a very important school that auditions students from all over the world who come to study ballet, contemporary dance, or musical theater. I am the artistic director and scout for the country and the world for the best choreographers and companies we can bring,” says Pam. “My job is to set the overall strategy and vision for the organization. We are known for supporting new artists and bringing companies to the United States that we may normally not see.”
Working at Jacob’s Pillow is a culmination of a lifetime of dance and acting experience. She began dancing in the 4th grade and continued through her college years in New York. Pam also trained as an actress. She attended Wesleyan University where she studied history.
“I’ve always held dance in my body and love social dance,” says Pam. “It’s a universal language—everyone can appreciate a dance, no matter what walk of life, level of education, country of origin. When we see dance, we see the capacity of the human form moving through space and connect with it in a visceral way.
“In my mind, by entering into dance in this way, we see the power of human capacity, we see power, we see hope, we see the possibility and feel hope at times we least expect it,” adds Pam. “Dance is transporting and brings us into dialog that other art forms just can’t do. It brings people together in place of celebration or of inquiry.”
After graduating from Wesleyan, Pam was hired as the director of development at the Shubert Performing Arts Center where she worked for two years before holding the same position at Long Wharf Theater for the next 10 years. In 1999, Pam returned to her alma mater, spending 16 years as the director of the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University.
In 1989, Pam and her husband of 30 years, Jerry Zinser, moved to Madison where Jerry’s daughters—Bree Jasmine and Caitlin, who are both now social workers—attended school. The couple then had two more children—Sophie, who just graduated from Wesleyan, and Brendan, who is a rising junior at Emerson College. Now Pam and Jerry have three grandchildren.
Pam’s children have also always been interested in the arts. Since they were small, their family shared many visits to galleries, theaters, and dance performances. Jerry is a mixed media artist, as well. Pam, who grew up as one of five children in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C., and spent four years living in Milan as a child, was also exposed to arts when she was young.
“With their father being an artist, they were always surrounded visual arts,” says Pam.
“My parents made sure as a young child, we were exposed to many arts forms from all around the world. I credit that young introduction for helping me understand what the arts can do, especially during times of great discord and the division of people.”
As the artistic director of Jacob’s Pillow, Pam loves bringing new talent to the festival and engaging the community. When she isn’t working, she spends her time in Madison running or walking at the beach, reading, enjoying good food, and taking in the arts.
“I love to read and I love great food—my husband is an amazing cook—and I absolutely love Madison. It’s the perfect New England town and it’s my refuge,” says Pam. “I also love to frequent as many different arts organizations as I can. I’m an arts omnivore. I love it all.”