Julia Weber
Staff Writer
At 3 p.m. Sunday in the Amphitheater, renowned dance company Pilobolus will take the stage for a family-oriented performance of modern dance.
“Pilobolus has been to Chautauqua before, but not for a few years. We’re very excited to bring them back and for two very different performances over two days,” said Laura Savia, vice president of performing and visual arts at Chautauqua.
Pilobolus describes itself as a “rebellious dance company,” according to the company’s website, and emphasizes athleticism and physical feats through its testing of the limits of “human physicality to explore the beauty and power of connected bodies.”
Pilobolus came to the Institution to participate in a short-term residency in 2019 following its first appearance at the Institution a year prior, and now returns not only to showcase the company’s repertoire, but to engage with Chautauqua’s dance community.
Sunday’s performance is the first of two that the company will bring to the Amp this week, with a performance of their “Other Worlds Collection” Monday evening. Sunday’s performance, part of the Family Entertainment Series, welcomes dance fans of all ages for a performance of their repertoire.
For Savia, Pilobolus’ return to the Institution is an opportunity to celebrate the company’s “well-known and much-celebrated athletic physicality.”
“Pilobolus made a name for themselves as a physically astounding company creating mind-blowing shapes and doing things people didn’t know bodies could do in dance,” Savia said. “All of that, through physicality and spectacle, in Pilobolus’ performance is always underpinned by a very strong contemporary dance technique.”
In addition to their two performances, the company will lead three masterclass workshops during their time on the grounds. Pilobolus will lead two sessions of “Connecting with Balance,” a workshop teaching older adults to learn about mobility and balance through movement, and a session of their group-driven movement workshop for students 16 and older.
“All of the offerings — all three of these sessions — are really meant for anyone (in terms of experience,)” Savia said. “You do not have to have a background in dance to participate.”
While Sunday’s performance is designed to be family-friendly, Savia said the performance is by no means only for children.
“It’s certainly not a performance just for kids, by any means,” she said. “It is a show that will be really fun and dynamic for anyone.”
