When people head to Jacob’s Pillow, they usually arrive early enough to stroll the rustic grounds, then gawk at the tree-latticed sunshine and, in the distance, the misty mountain range that form the backdrop for the outdoor stage. Lately, though, these six P.M. preludes to the eight P.M. main event look to be enticing enough to distract you from the scenery. For July, my bets are on Three Duets (July 12), with the late Merce Cunningham setting the daunting terms while powerhouse contemporary choreographers Kyle Abraham and Liz Gerring meet them with savvy and distinction; the indigenous Dancers of Damelahamid, from coastal British Columbia, performing in huge, awe-inducing masks (July 26–27); and the Neapolitan Emma Cianchi in her soft and sisterly U.S. debut, the world premiere Il mare che ci unisce (“The sea that unites us”), with music by Lino Cannavacciuolo specially composed for instruments particular to southern Italy (July 31). —Apollinaire Scherr