Last month, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival announced the 'Chance to Dance' contest, allowing online viewers to select their favorite artists for a chance to perform on July 21, 2017 during Jacob's Pillow's 85th Anniversary Season.

The six final companies were...

  • J9 Dance, a street fusion company
  • Breton Follies, a cabaret group
  • Alina Sokulska, a jazz dancer
  • Barkha Dance Company, a classical Indian Kathak company
  • DNA, a ballroom duo
  • Samuel Samways, a choreographer from Brazil

And the winner is...

Samuel Samways! He is currently a dance researcher and resident choreographer at Cefart, an art institution, focusing on developing a technique that combines pair dancing and contemporary social dance.