Final Thoughts on Pilobolus

I've covered a lot concerning Pilobolus, and I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.  I'd like to end with just a little more information.

Pilobolus THEN.

Pilobolus NOW.

This first video is a repertory video of Pilobolus, highlighting the best of the best they currently have to offer.  Some of the material may look familiar, since I've talked about some of it before in my posts.  Pilobolus adds new material to their repertory every year, and keeps old choreography in as well.  Much like the pictures above, they stay true to their roots and keep it alive.

I'm really excited about this second video.  This video is from Pilobolus's first collaboration in 1999, with author Maurice Sendak (best known for Where The Wild Things Are).  The dancers are working with a non-dancer, yet are still able to work with him and create a unified vision.  The number they created is entitled "A Selection" and is a reflection on the Holocaust.  The video not only talks about their work at that time, but it also contains clips of early Pilobolus work.  I like this video because it shows how Pilobolus dancers interact with one another during rehearsal and how they work with outside collaborators to create a cohesive story.

For more information on Pilobolus and their work with collaborators, check out this Time Out Chicago interview with founding member Robby Barnett.

Finally, I'd like to talk about MOMIX, a group formed by Pilobolus founding member Moses Pendleton in 1981 when he decided to break away from his original company a decade after its formation.  MOMIX was originally the title of a dance Pendleton created for Pilobolus before the split.  MOMIX stays true to many of the Pilobolus stylings, yet has a distinct flare for spectacle.  It can be argued that while Pilobolus focuses on what the body can do in terms of spectacle, MOMIX focuses on more prop-based spectacle.

This is a video of MOMIX's Botanica, and as you can see, the company relies on costumes and props to create all the spectacle.  For more information on MOMIX, visit their website.

There you have it.  Enjoy!