Pilobolus Brings its Mind-bending Creativity to Mercyhurst

Tuesday, Oct. 10

Pilobolus, the award-winning arts organization known for its eclectic mix of movement, dance and athleticism is set to explode onto the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center stage at Mercyhurst University. It will be presenting "Pilobolus Maximus — Beyond The Limits of Dance," a mix of both old and new works such as á la B'zyrk, On The Nature of Things, Branches and Rushes. Literature from the company promises that "Maximus" will take the audience "from the irreverence of a wild circus to the physical filigree of their most classical physical work."

Known for their unconventional approach to movement and choreography, Pilobolus was born in 1971 by non-dancers who just happened to take a dance class at Dartmouth College. Now, 46 years later, the troupe has presented more than 120 individual pieces around the globe and earned numerous accolades from the dance world and beyond.

The choreography for each work is developed jointly between the dancers and artistic directors. "The company also brings in outside artists from a variety of disciplines," explains Mark Santillano, Assistant Professor of Dance at Mercyhurst and former Pilobolus member. "Everyone contributes to the creation of the piece, from the story to the actual movements. This is a very different methodology than a typical dance company."

Their stage presence differs enormously as well. In classical dance, the men do the lifting and the women are the lifted. In Pilobolus, "everybody lifts everybody," explains Santillano. There is more connectivity between dancers who often come together to form organic forms and mystical creatures before melting down into yet something else. This makes them popular with people who think they "don't like dance."

"Maximus" promises to be the best of Pilobolus and, as always, just might bend our little minds. — Mary Birdsong

7:30 p.m. // Adults $20, Seniors $15, Students/Youth $10 // 824.3000