THE HANGOVER REPORT – Dancing with their trademark athleticism and versatility, fan favorites PILOBOLUS returns to The Joyce to celebrate its 50th anniversary

Pilobolus in “Sweet Purgatory” at The Joyce Theater (photo by Grant Halverson).

This past week at The Joyce Theater, I attended a performance by Pilobolus, a fan favorite dance company that’s celebrating its landmark 50th anniversary this season. The company’s three-week, two-program stint at the Chelsea dance venue — which has historically been the its New York home base — caps off the its Big Five-OH!tour, which has been celebrating Pilobolus’s storied past, as well as expectedly looking forward to the company’s next chapter. This was certainly the case on Tuesday’s Program B opening night, which proved to be quite the eclectic sampler.

The evening commenced with On the Nature of Things, an ideal appetizer for Pilobolus’s uniquely devised, shape-shifting aesthetic. In this eye-catching opener, the company’s able-bodied dancers serenely morphed through a steady progression of stately tableaus — as if sculptures awakening to life. In striking contrast was the next work on the bill, the slight but animated Walklyndon, which highlighted the company’s propensity for playful shenanigans. Then came the New York premiere of Awaken Heart, a work that eschews gimmickry (for better or worse), refreshingly showcasing the troupe in a more pure dance mode — even if the piece left audiences a tad underwhelmed. The first act closer found the company back in familiar territory performing Untitled, a sort of slapstick version of Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring.

The second act commenced with Behind the Shadows, which like Untitled, is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. By combining dance and inspired shadow puppetry, the company struck gold with the work, and it has become one of its signature pieces. The evening concluded with Sweet Purgatory, a piece which can only be described as quintessential Pilobolus, a perfect blend of sensuality, improbable strength, and otherworldly stage pictures. Throughout the evening, the company of six game dancers (were there only six?) performed with versatility, immense athletic ability — their trademark — and vibrant personality.

RECOMMENDED

PILOBOLUS
Dance
The Joyce Theater
Approximately 2 hours (with an intermission)
Through July 30

Categories: Dance

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