Pilobolus seeks to intrigue and inspire during its second and final performance of its residency Thursday, July 19, at 8:15 p.m. in the Amphitheater.
The show is titled “Come to Your Senses,” and according to Artistic Director Matt Kent, the dancers and choreographers are looking to immerse the audience in a show that will awaken the senses and open the audience’s eyes to the beauty of nature.
“The show is about connecting to your senses both internally and externally,” Kent said. “It is made up of a series of dances that we feel helps to remind people to disconnect from the grid and pay attention to the outside world.”
The performance, Kent said, is a mixture of athletics, creative movement and expressive dance, but he finds it hard to categorize the type of dance Pilobolus does under a single label.
“I don’t think it necessarily falls under any of those labels because we are not drawing from those labels,” he said.
Kent said that he and the dancers are excited to be at Chautauqua because of the way in which they have been also able to engage with the audience and enjoy the grounds.
Specifically, Kent said that he is excited to present “Come to Your Senses” because, to him, it seems like the theme of reconnecting with the beauty of nature is “part of the Chautauqua aesthetic.”
The performance will feature seven dancers, four men and three women, who will become engaged in creating shapes, images and environments with their bodies.
“There is a strong sense of teamwork within the performance,” Kent said.
Executive Producer Itamar Kubovy, who has been with the company for 14 years, is also interested in how time plays a role in the show and the senses. He said that people are constantly engaged in numerous conversations, specifically through technology, and that constant engagement “lower(s) the bandwidth of our senses.”
“When people actually give that (time) up to come to the show, you want the experience to be special every time. We can leave the normal time and interruptions and fragmentations of the world and get lost in a new world. It allows you to reconnect with yourself and the people around you.”
-Itamar Kubovy, Executive Producer, Pilobolus
Both Kent and Kubovy are excited about the partnership between Chautauqua and Pilobolus because the two share many common themes and missions.
“This is a really cool connection between these two companies that should be strengthened,” Kubovy said. “It’s incredibly important for these institutions to find each other and share the things we believe in with each other.”
