Pilobolus, founded in 1971, has been creating acrobatic, playful contemporary dance since its inception. Its current show, re:CREATION, showcases Pilobolus’ iconic choreography as it tours across the United States. While the show had its moments of brilliance, the pacing dragged on at times, feeling overly grandiose.
Founded over 50 years ago by a group of three of maybe the most Dartmouth–y Dartmouth kids: an English literature nerd and cross–country skier, a philosopher fencer, and a pre–med pole vaulter. The three jock intellects had zero dance experience, but met in a senior year dance course. Their final project, in which they threw themselves across the stage, was named after the fungus Pilobolus, which similarly flings its spores into the air.
The project was received so well that after graduating they booked New York gigs, impressing audiences with their athletic movements, catapulting themselves into the air and intertwining their bodies to create three dimensional shapes. The troupe became a mainstay of the expanding contemporary dance world, and after 50 years, the group’s choreography is still rooted in quirky, unconventional movement. Re:CREATION showcases vintage Pilobolus routines as well as a new piece.
At around $100 for orchestra seats, re:CREATION at the Zellerbach Theatre is not exactly a student friendly event. Thanks to Penn Live Arts, I scored $10 tickets. While it’s definitely more highbrow than APES on a Saturday night, was it more fun? Not sure. I did however feel like I was crashing a WASP–y 70–year–old party and getting let in on a secret of what they get up to on Saturday nights.
The first dance was a retelling of Persephone, beginning with one dancer plucking a flower from the floor. The troupe swallowed her into a twisting mass of bodies. They transformed into a field of undulating wheat fields and scuttling underworld creatures. Still, the piece is drawn out. When the lights went up after the first act, my friend turned to me and jokingly whispered, “I feel like we could do most of that.” But, she was kinda right. While there were a few of Pilobolus’ iconic lifts and creative choreo, the overall impression was, well, underwhelming.
The next piece, Walklyndon, was a complete departure from atmospheric storytelling of the first dance. The troupe emerged in Simpson's yellow leotards and polyester shorts. The dance consisted of the troupe members walking across the stage in exaggerated pantomimes, bumping into each other, falling down, and tripping over each other. It’s a beloved piece of vintage Pilobolus choreography, and the crowd was cracking up. I found myself smiling to myself at the beginning, but as the performance neared the ten–minute mark, my patience was fading.
The last two dances in the first act were decidedly moody. In PacBloodlines, which premiered this year, two female troupe members contorted themselves around each other on a dark stage, pulling off impressive lifts as rose petals fell from the ceiling. But the next piece, Awaken Heart, was a disappointment. Four dancers moved through slow, cyclical choreography—rolling on the floor, glancing side to side in slow motion, grasping for each other’s hands—it was contemporary dance at its most tedious.
However, Rushes, the final performance of the night, redeemed the show. With steampunk costumes and oceanic sound design, the troupe evoked a whimsical mix of seafaring town and vaudeville charm, as they navigated a journey inside of a circle of chairs. Through creative choreography, the chairs came alive, forming a can–can line of marching dancers and roaming promenade. The roll of fabric from the first act returned for the backdrop of the projection of a quixotic scene, as vines leapt from a man's head, turning into skeletons and smoke, in a bizarre dream. The dancers finally maneuvered to a light in the middle of the stage chairs, extinguishing it, casting the stage in darkness, a pleasing end to an at times monotonous show.
So there you have it. An unrefined college kid’s take on the show. Former Pilobolus dancer Antoine Banks–Sullivan once said, “Pilobolus does dance for the husbands and boyfriends. We make work for everybody.” However, re:CREATION wasn’t for everybody. While I could appreciate the striking lifts and inventive choreography, the show could at times feel pretentious and plodding. Given the troupe’s origin in non–dancer college kids creating a class project, I, a non–dancer college kid, was left disappointed.
