Pilobolus Dance Theater

Pilobolus Dance Theater (pīläb'ulus) [key], innovative modern dance company formed (1971) by Moses Pendleton, Jonathan Wolken, Lee Harris, and Robby Barnett from a dance class given by Alison Chase at Dartmouth College. Chase joined the group two years later and shortly thereafter Michael Tracy also became a member; a number of other dancers were added to the troupe over the years. Pilobolus's dances, which are developed collectively, typically involve gymnastics, group “structures,” mime, showmanship, and overt and implied humor. Later dances have often echoed literary works. The company is based in Washington, Conn. In 1980 Pendleton and Chase established Momix,. an offshoot group, which carries on the original company's gymnastic traditions in dances such as Pendleton's “Passion” (1981) and Baseball (1994). Pendleton has been Momix's artistic director since 1984. In 1999 Pilobolus brought in its first outside collaborators, Maurice Sendak and Arthur Yorinks, to create A Selection, a meditation on the Holocaust; the creation of this piece is documented in the film Last Dance (2002). In 2006, after artistic differences arose among its artistic directors and its management, Alison Chase left the company. The following year Pilobolus, for the first time, began to create work in collaboration with outside choreographers, Israel's Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

• • Cite
  • Print