"Pilobolus is a mind-blowing troupe of wildly creative and physically daring dancers who leap, fly, intertwine and break all the rules...Audiences should expect the unexpected with Pilobolus."
- NYC Newsday

Pilobolus began in 1971 as an outsider dance company, and quickly became renowned for its imaginative and athletic exploration of creative collaboration. Nearly 40 years later, it has evolved into a pioneering American cultural institution of the 21st century. The mass appeal of Pilobolus has stemmed from their physical vocabulary that blends art with transforming acrobatics, molding it into a rousing poetry. Their unique multi-bodied weight sharing and creation of clever visual illusions are the hallmarks of this group that will simply blow your mind.

Named after a feisty fungus, the multi-award winning Pilobolus, has received a Primetime Emmy Award, Berlin Critic's Prize, the Brandeis Award, and numerous other awards for their collaborative choreographic approach with an executive director, three artistic directors, and seven contributing dancers. The famed group will return to Northrop with two separate performances featuring classic mind-morphing programs.

Programs

Fri, Feb 12, 8:00 pm

Lanterna Magica (2008)
A new full company work choreographed by co-Artistic Director Michael Tracy. This work immerses us in the luminous spirit of the natural world and uses ritual and mythology to create a mysterious and irresistible sensual celebration of the supernatural.

Pseudopodia (1974)
A tumbling tumbleweed solo set to an all-percussion score.

Gnomen (1997)
This is a Pilobolus classic. A quartet for men, Gnomen's lyrical exploration of relationships emerges from an unusually inventive physical vocabulary and is dedicated to the memory of our friend and colleague, Jim Blanc. 

Hitched (2009)
A fast duet about love's path, marriage, and nostalgia.

Rushes (2007)
The first in a series of collaborations with a diverse group of artists during the next few years, Pilobolus Co-Artistic Director Robby Barnett teams up with the world-renowned dance-theatre makers Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak to premiere a new full-company work. A mix of movement languages born out of a series of conversations and a laboratory workshop, Pilobolus/Pinto/Pollak discovers hybrid terrain in a remarkable exploration of the range and intensity of deep collaboration.

Sat, Feb 13, 2:00 pm

Family Friendly

Lanterna Magica (2008)
A new full company work choreographed by co-Artistic Director Michael Tracy. This work immerses us in the luminous spirit of the natural world and uses ritual and mythology to create a mysterious and irresistible sensual celebration of the supernatural.

Pseudopodia (1974)
A tumbling tumbleweed solo set to an all-percussion score.

Walklydon (1971)
One of Pilobolus' very first works, Walklyndon is a silent dance owing much of its physical humor to slapstick and vaudeville. Six colorfully dressed jocks romping, bumping, kicking, and galumphing, Walklyndon is a classic.

Dog • ID (2009)
Shadow piece in which a young woman is transformed. Created in collaboration with lead writer for the brilliant animated series SpongeBob SquarePants Steven Banks. 

Rushes (2007)
The first in a series of collaborations with a diverse group of artists during the next few years, Pilobolus Co-Artistic Director Robby Barnett teams up with the world-renowned dance-theatre makers Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak to premiere a new full-company work. A mix of movement languages born out of a series of conversations and a laboratory workshop, Pilobolus/Pinto/Pollak discovers hybrid terrain in a remarkable exploration of the range and intensity of deep collaboration. 

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Funding provided in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and private funders.

Special support provided by Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota.