Pilobolus dancers Quincy Ellis, Krystal Butler, Jacob Michael Warren, Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Zachary Eisenstat and Heather Favretto. The six dancers performed an interpretive dance titled “Day Two” in 2019 at The Joyce Theater New York. Photo courtesy of Brigid Pierce
Through unconventional interpretive dance, the self-titled rebels at Pilobolus dance company seek to reinvent movement in performance, according to their company website.
Pilobolus’ mission is to create, preserve and perform meaningful dance pieces that showcase the creative potential of all those involved, according to their website. After 50 years of testing the limits of human physicality, Pilobolus returned to Pepperdine for its fifteenth performance at Smothers Theatre on Jan. 26, said Rebecca Carson, the managing director for the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts.
“The company is a fantastic modern dance company that was formed by four non-dancers from Connecticut,” Carson said. “They just used musicality and physicality in a really interesting way that makes you think about all that you can do with the physical body.”
Originally founded in the early 1970s, Pilobolus has expanded as a company to provide viewers of all ages with their vision and artistry, according to their company site. Celebrating 50 years of interpretive performances, the company is traveling across the U.S. in spring 2023 as a part of their “Big Five-Oh!” tour. The company staged a mix of revival pieces from past Pilobolus troupes, in addition to modern dances from more recent years, according to the Center for the Arts site.
Pilobolus’ Artistic Director Matt Kent stepped on stage before the show to thank the audience for their attendance and support for the company. Microphone in hand, Kent surveyed how many people in the audience had seen the company’s prior performances. More than half of the packed theater raised their hands, while those who had never heard of the company before stirred in anticipation.
“It seems we did something right to get you to come back,” Kent said onstage during his opening speech.
Kent explained the show’s repertoire would be pulling from past and present performances in celebration of their 50 years as a company. Revival dances included “MegaWatt” (2004), a solo piece from “Empty Suitor” (1980) and the final group number, “Untitled” (1975), while current performances included “The Ballad” (2022) and “Behind the Shadows” (2021).
After audience voices fell hush and the lights dimmed, six troupe performers appeared, lying on their backs and began the first number titled “MegaWatt.” The dancers bounded across the stage, soon leaping, flipping, gliding and trying every twist in between. Performers balanced their bodies on top of others with ease, showcasing the art of human movement.
The production tested the boundaries of sight throughout the performances as dancers maneuvered lighting and employed shadow dancing to alter the onstage visuals. Pilobolus’ imaginative storytelling exerted the dancers’ physicality as they flipped, kicked and tumbled all over the stage. The company’s impressive talent was further supported with polished costuming, minimal staging and a blend of experimental melodies and spoken word.
After the company’s final piece, “Untitled,” the audience in Smothers erupted into a joyous cheer, clapping the dancers off stage and eagerly filing out of the theater to discuss the show. Pilobolus was popular among students and visitors alike, as attendees reeled in their positive reactions with the show’s directors afterward outside the theater.
Juniors Noelle Alderton, Rachel Anderson and Jadyn Gaertner attended the “Big Five-Oh” performance together at Pepperdine. Despite finding out about the performance briefly before the show, Alderton expressed her admiration for the company’s refined technique and demanding choreography.
“It was such a surprise,” Alderton said. “I didn’t know I was going until 20 minutes before, and then I showed up and was amazed.”
Anderson said she knew a friend in the show’s production and was captivated with the troupe’s performance. Gaertner said she was impressed despite attending last minute and would recommend the show to others.
“I loved it, I thought it was cool and I’ve definitely never seen anything like it,” Gaertner said.
Similarly, Alderton said she thought the performance was nothing like she had expected and expressed her shock at the dancer’s physical capabilities.
“They are so strong and I just didn’t understand how they could physically do those moves,” Alderton said. “I felt transported to a different world, and I was very impressed by the abilities of the dancers.”
After an invigorating show in Malibu, the dance company’s next performance was in Arizona on Jan. 27, according to their website. The skillful troupe will travel to over 20 different cities. Fifty years after its creation, Pilobolus plans to continue growing and changing while reaching new audiences and exploring new visual and physical planes, according to their site.
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Email Emma Ibarra: emma.ibarra@pepperdine.edu
