Follow up - Pilobolus Program B

I finally went to see Pilobolus' Program B at the Joyce last night. The dancers were as strong and engaged as ever; however, I stand by my thoughts on Program A...see A if you can.

Program B has exciting moments. The two pieces that stand out are "Skyscrapers", another delicious video collaboration with OK Go, and "Azimuth", a beautiful exploration of balance and geometric shapes in space. What didn't work for me were the penis/sex innuendos (that became a bit tired after a while) and the length of the first piece, "Molly's Not Dead."

This being said, PILOBOLUS creates unusual and entertaining dance spectacles and if you have not experienced their work it is worth making a point to do so (regardless of the Program you see).  Below is the upcoming schedule and link to buy tickets. They perform at the Joyce through August 4th. Please see my previous entry on Program A from July 13th for more info!

Program A: Jul 9, 10, 17, 22-23, 31 at 7:30pm; Jul 12, 18, 20, 26, Aug 1, 3 at 8pm; Jul 13, 27, Aug 4 at 2pm
Automaton, All Is Not Lost, Ocellus, esc (Penn & Teller premiere), Day Two
(Program contains nudity)

Program B: Jul 15-16, 24, 29-30 at 7:30pm; Jul 11, 13, 19, 25, 27, Aug 2 at 8pm; Jul 20, Aug 3 at 2pm
Molly’s Not Dead, Skyscrapers, Azimuth, Symbiosis, Licks (Trish Sie premiere)

Family Matinee Program: Jul 24 at 1pm
Walklyndon, Pseudopodia, Transformation, All is Not Lost

Get tickets here: http://www.joyce.org

Fabulous Fungus at the Joyce Theater

Pilobolus at the Joyce is a party and the dancers, calm and casual while performing insane feats, are excellent hosts. Whether you are a dance lover or more of a I'll-skip-this-performance-and-see-you-later-at-the-bar kind of participant, Pilobolus is an experience not to be missed. Sports Fans, you will be highly entertained. Cinefiles, you will be equally as stimulated. Go see it now!

I saw Program A, last night, which I recommend selecting (I will check out Program B later in the run). In Show A, the curtains remain open throughout the performance and the audience watches the set being constructed by men [and women] in black as high energy music runs through the speakers. In between dances, uniquely crafted and/or meditative short films are projected on a small screen. My favorite film was KITES, known as "Romancing The Wind" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr9KrqN_lIg. 

The most exciting and accessible live piece, in my opinion, was "All is Not Lost" a collaboration with OK Go that you may have seen on the web in 2011. It is even better in person, as the live performance and set design add an element of intrigue and the Joyce stage provides the perfect venue for the dance and film projection to co-exist. Here is the web version with OK Go if you are curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur-y7oOto14. 

Pilobolus also premiered their newest collaboration with magicians Penn & Teller, entitled "[esc]". Here, the dancers successfully attempt Houdini-like stunts, while a pre-recorded Penn & Teller narrate. Although "[esc]" is less of a dance and more of a spectacle, the audience is taken on a ride. Gripping our arm rests, we sighed breaths of relief and cheered wildly as each escape artist accomplished his or her task. You will get into it, is my point, especially when dancers, Shawn Fitzgerald Ahern and Matt Del Rosario, complete a particularly captivating and unexpected pole dance, full-on, with leather and padlocked chains. 

The other works include "Ocellus" (choreographed in 1972) and "Day Two" (1980), both are highly impressive and imaginative, but I will let you form your own opinions. Oh, and make sure to stay for the bows; the fun continues there! Click on the link for tickets and, again, I highly recommend Program A: http://www.joyce.org/performance/pilobolus/#.UeGq-6nQ5UQ. 

Pilobolus (yes, their name comes from a type of fungus) runs through August 4th. Thanks for reading and enjoy the weekend! 

MJ