Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – PILOBOLUS begins its summer residency at The Joyce with a cohesive program evoking the dream state

• By drediman
• July 24, 2024
• No Comments

This past Tuesday, Pilobolus returned to New York, commencing its three-week residency at The Joyce Theater in Chelsea. Presented under the banner of re:CREATION, the celebrated, crowd-pleasing contemporary dance company’s summer run is comprised of two separate programs — “Dreams” and “Memory” — which have been specifically curated to highlight the breadth and depth of the company’s repertory, while staying true to the ethos of its two chosen themes (and thankfully, at least in the case of Dreams, light on superfluous gimmickry). As always, the physical prowess of the Pilobolus dancers and their ability to shift stylistic gears to accommodate the company’s eclectic works were a marvel to behold.

Last night’s uncommonly cohesive Dreams program began with Thresh|Hold, an eye-catching work that capitalizes on the dynamic kineticism of video games. Using only a single prop/set piece — a swirling, ingeniously manipulated doorway on wheels — it cinematically frames constantly shifting perspectives, particularly calling to mind the slick and breathless action sequences of the The Matrix films. Then came the New York premiere of Bloodlines, a relatively brief yet captivating pas de deux for two women. Set against the arresting imagery of falling rose petals and what seemed like parallel rivers, the meditative and deliberately-paced duet poetically evokes the natural world and our place in it. If not completely intoxicating, the fragrant hints of Eastern exoticism distinguished the piece from the other offerings on display that evening.

Perhaps the purest examples of Pilobolus’s distinct aesthetic were found in Gnomen and Symbiosis, two classic pieces which closed the first act and opened the second act, respectively. In turn fantastical and phantasmagorical, these two works showcase the company’s uncanny ability to conjure otherworldly shapes within vivid worlds through sheer physicality — a heady approach that draws heavily from both contemporary dance and circus arts traditions — again with minimal assistance from physical props. With the aid of bold lighting, subtle shadow play, and atmospheric music, the dancers contorted themselves into an organic array of beguilingly surreal tableaus — likely inspired by the singularly outlandish visions of Dalí and Magritte — that easily seared themselves into memory.

In an interesting change of pace, the program concluded with Rushes, an ultimately moving and nuanced capture of the human condition made possible by the added elements of Beckettian clowning and an overall sense of existentialism; these are potently juxtaposed against Arvo Pärt exquisitely plaintive music. In its specifity, the work foreshadows and anticipates Pilobolus’s forthcoming Memory program.

RECOMMENDED

PILOBOLUS
Dance
The Joyce Theater
Approximately 2 hours (with one intermission)
Through August 11