Julia Weber
Staff Writer
Visiting dance company Pilobolus will deliver its second performance as part of the Week Nine Evening Entertainment Series at 8:15 p.m. tonight in the Amphitheater.
Laura Savia, Chautauqua Institution’s vice president of performing and visual arts, said Chautauquans can expect “something very fresh from Pilobolus,” who came to the Institution in 2018 and 2019 and performed Sunday as part of the Family Entertainment Series.
“Pilobolus has, of course, decades-worth of repertoire at this point, but they are also just as innovative and just as fresh as ever,” she said.
Savia said when the Institution was discussing Pilobolus’ program for their performances at the Institution, the company felt it important to bring something “really brand new” to the stage, which Savia said will be a “treat” for audiences in attendance.
Pilobolus is known for its emphasis on physicality and athleticism, performing feats that test physical limits.
“It is a sophisticated and elegant dance performance, and it is, in my opinion, physically and athletically satisfying to behold,” Savia said.
She said the performance by Malpaso Dance Company earlier this season and tonight’s performance by Pilobolus are fitting additions to the dance program for 2025, bringing and innovation to the Amp to converse with the myriad ballet performances this summer.
For Savia, the two-way relationship between visiting dance companies at the Institution is an important one. The companies don’t just deliver a performance and leave afterward, but frequently are enmeshed in the arts community on the grounds, teaching masterclass events and working with the School of Dance to impart new knowledge and techniques. She compared it to “cross-pollination” because the visiting companies and Chautauqua arts communities learn from one another in the process.
Tonight’s performance marks the final dance performance of the summer, and for Savia, it’s a perfect book-end to the season.
“I’m really proud of this season of dance,” said Savia.
She said the Institution works to bring many forms of dance to the Institution to demonstrate the breadth of the art form. She said the students in the School of Dance are the core of the dance season each year, bringing world-renowned dance pieces to the Amphitheater and performing with elevated artistry and technical precision to showcase the future generation of ballet.
“I think they have so much to be proud of,” she said. “The spine of the dance season — as is true every year — this summer was ballet.”
With the emphasis on ballet at the Institution, Savia said when planning the season, the Institution seeks to complement the programming with other dance forms and companies focusing on modern and contemporary techniques.
“We are so proud to have these deep roots in ballet and, specifically, the Balanchine tradition, and we always want to complement that and have that in dialogue or counterpoint with other (dance) styles,” she said.
