| Pilobolus at the Joyce |
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Polobolus Dance Theater Joyce Theater July 3-26, 2008 joyce.org  Pilobolus (crystallinus) is a phototropic zygomycete, a sun-loving fungus that grows in barnyards and pastures. It grows on a stalk as a small bladder, pressurized by cell sap and topped with a tiny black cap filled with spores. When time and Pilobolus are ripe, this entire sporangium is blasted off with incredible force, and the little spore bags can shoot over a cow like clowns out of a cannon. It's reported that the acceleration -- from 0-45 mph in the first mm of flight -- is the second fastest in nature.Pilobolus, the arts organism, germinated in the fertile soil of a Dartmouth College dance class in 1971. What emerged was a collaborative choreographic process and a unique weight-sharing approach to partnering that gave the young company a non-traditional but powerful new set of skills with which to make dances. The group was immediately acclaimed for its startling mix of humor and invention; it soon became a self-sufficient organization, its members choreographing, dancing, managing, and publicizing their own programs. Today, Pilobolus is recognized as a major American dance company of international influence. It has not, however, forsaken its original impetus. The company remains a deeply collaborative effort with an executive director, three artistic directors, and seven dancers contributing to one of the most popular and varied repertoires in the field. Performance Schedule at the Joyce, July 3-26, 2008: Monday-Wednesday at 7:30pm Thursday & Friday at 8pm Saturday at 2pm & 8pm PROGRAM 1: Laterna Magica, Pseudopodia, Memento Mori, Ocellus, Megawatt The new full-company work by Pilobolus co-artistic director Michael Tracy, Laterna Magica immerses us in the luminous spirit of the natural world and uses ritual and mythology to create a mysterious and irresistibly sensual celebration of the supernatural. PROGRAM 2: Razor: Mirror, Pseudopodia, Gnomen, Persistence of Memory, Rushes Razor: Mirror, Jonathan Wolken's new quintet, explores the hidden space that almost separates the worlds of the sane and the irrational in this strange fruit of midnight's madness. Tossed lightly with acid wit and just a touch of irony is a performance served up with a generous helping of quintessential Pilobolean humor. PROGRAM 3: Bordernless Innovation: B'zyrk, Symbiosis, Basil Twist collaboration, Day Two Pilobolus' second annual International Collaborators Project brings shadow play to the stage through the talents of the company's co-artistic directors Robby Barnett and Jonathan Wolken, joined by acclaimed puppeteer Basil Twist. In this unique collaboration, Twist's unencumbered imagination plays off the magic of shadows to create an inventive and playful performance. |
