Pilobolus

Essay by NdncnLcatR07High School, 10th gradeA+, May 2005

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"If you're lucky, every decade or so, you see an artist that makes you catch your breath because they are so totally innovative."

-Charles Reinhart

Mr. Reinhart, in this case, was talking about Pilobolus. Not the sun-loving fungus Pilobolus, but the artistic form of modern dance that emerged in 1971. Pilobolus Dance Theatre is a touring company that uses weight-sharing techniques in order to build interesting shapes to portray different things.

Pilobolus started in a dance class at Dartmouth College. It is composed of humor and invention that is self-led by the performers who choreograph, dance, manage, and publicize their own programs.

There are four major branches of Pilobolus: the two touring companies, Pilobolus Dance Theatre and Pilobolus Too, The Pilobolus Institute, and Pilobolus Creative Services. Pilobolus Dance Theatre is the six person touring company based in Connecticut. The company began choreographing and touring in October of 1971.

They have performed over 85 pieces. The company spends about half of the year on the road, touring, and the remaining time is reserved for choreographing new pieces, rehearsal, and training. One performance season consists of an average of 100 performances. Pilobolus Too, or PTOO, came to be in 1996 and is the two person touring group. PTOO provides workshops for all ages and even in-school performances. The have served many varieties of audiences, from the small, 200 person audience, to larger audiences of over 2000.

Pilobolus has toured all over the world in many regions such as the United States, Central and South America, the Middle East, Russia, and Europe. They have received many awards over the past few years. These include the Scotsman Award, the Berlin Critic's Prize, the New England Theatre Conference Prize, the Brandeis Award, the Connecticut Commission on the Arts Award for Excellence, and even...