Pilobolus, that magical modern dance company that redefined both "modern" and "dance," performs at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. There will be an "Art to Heart" Q & A with company members following each performance.

They performed with their signature whimsy to their largest audience to date at the 2007 Academy Awards - building witty silhouettes to punctuate the ceremony and capture the essence of several nominated films.

The company is noted for its collaborative choreography and the program for this appearance includes three 2007 works based on original material conceived by groups of members:

• "B'Zyrk," the third in a series of new works commissioned by Dartmouth College and supported by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), was choreographed by Jonathan Wolken in collaboration with five of the six performing dancers.
• "Rushes" includes contributions from all six of the performing dancers. The jazz of Miles Davis, Eddie Sauter and the Dukes of Dixieland is but, some of the music chosen for this piece.
• A duet, "Persistence of Memory," was co-commissioned as a remembrance of Sara Hughes by her family and the Roberts Foundation and features two of dancers who were part of the choreographic process.

In addition to these new works, are two favorites: "Pseudopodia" (1973), a solo danced to original music by Moses Pendleton and the choreographer Jonathan Wolken; and, the adventurous "Megawatt" (2004) with the full company of six dancers.

In the more than 30 years since Pilobolus was founded in a dance class at Dartmouth College, this physically inventive company has earned a reputation as one of the world's most innovative and imaginative modern dance companies. Its trademark "combined bodies" collaborative choreographic style, kinetic energy and humor have created moving images that are colorful and riveting. A performance by Pilobolus is an ingenious evening of bodies in motion.

"Newsweek" magazine described Pilobolus as "...zany as the Marx Brothers, as clever as Houdini, this sextet of adept acrobats converts bodies into interlocking and interchangeable parts, erecting structures on stage that are closer to sculpture than dance."

Based in Washington Depot, Conn., Pilobolus travels the world and tours two companies each year. The company of choreographers and dancer-athletes are committed to the creation of three original works each year.

Tickets are $40, $35, $30 and are available online at www.quickcenter.com or by calling the Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. For further information, please visit the website at www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 10-30-2007 10:10 AM

Volume: 40 Number: 96