Modern Dance Company Pilobolus to Visit Pepperdine

Combining gymnastics, weight sharing, pop dance, and performance art in a delightfully whimsical human circus, the innovative award-winning dance troupe Pilobolus will come to Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Thursday, January 25, at 8 PM.

The company’s current program, “Pilobolus Maximus – Beyond the Limits of Dance,” takes the most diverse and impactful elements of Pilobolus—some old, and some brand new—and assembles them in a series of continually changing worlds. From the irreverence of a wild circus to the physical filigree of their most classical work, “Maximus” is not only the best of Pilobolus but also the most revealing of how diverse and surprising Pilobolus' repertoire can be.

The company will perform the following five pieces:

• á la B’zyrk (Intro/Outro)

Choreographed by the late Jonathan Wolken, á la B’zyrk features a carnival of rehearsal clowns within a dreamlike continuity of imagery.

• On The Nature Of Things (2014)

This piece was commissioned by The Dau Family Foundation in honor of Elizabeth Hoffman and David Mechlin; Treacy and Darcy Beyer; The American Dance Festival with support from the SHS Foundation and the Charles L. and Stephanie Reinhart Fund; and the National Endowment for the Arts. Performed by three dancers balanced on a two-foot wide column rising above the stage, On The Nature Of Things explores the power of iconic bodies to tell a story about the birth of desire and its intertwined connection to shame and revenge.

• Branches (2017)

Commissioned by the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Branches is a new work scored entirely with natural sound. This piece searches for the comedy in our Darwinian world in a way that is inherently unique to Pilobolus.

• (2013)

was commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support from the SHS Foundation and the Charles L. and Stephanie Reinhart Fund. was created through Pilobolus's International Collaborators Project with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Xerox Foundation. Masters of trickery, Penn & Teller teamed with Pilobolus to create the ultimate piece of gripping, do-not-try-this-at-home choreography. Fantasy, athleticism, strength, confinement, fetters, and escape are all at play in this tantalizing full company work.

• Rushes (2007)

Rushes was co-commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support from the Doris Duke Awards for New Work and additional funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; by the Joyce Theater’s Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New Work; and by Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida. It was also made possible in part by generous contributions from the Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in New York and from Jonathan M. Nadler. Rushes was created through Pilobolus’s International Collaborators Project with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Rushes employs objects to masterfully convey an enchanting wit, which leaves audiences moved and delighted.

Pilobolus is a rebellious dance company. For 45 years, Pilobolus has tested the limits of human physicality to explore the beauty and the power of connected bodies. They continue to bring this tradition to global audiences through post-disciplinary collaborations with some of the greatest influencers, thinkers, and creators in the world. Now, in our digitally driven and increasingly mediated landscape, Pilobolus also reaches beyond performance to teach people how to connect through designed live experiences. They bring decades of expertise telling stories with the human form to show diverse communities, brands, and organizations how to maximize group creativity, solve problems, create surprise, and generate joy through the power of nonverbal communication.

Pilobolus has created and toured over 120 pieces of repertory to more than 65 countries. They currently perform for over 300,000 people across the US and around the world each year. In the last year, Pilobolus was featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NBC’s TODAY Show, MTV’s Video Music Awards, The Harry Connick Show, ABC’s The Chew, and the CW Network’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Pilobolus has been recognized with many prestigious honors, including a TED Fellowship, a 2012 Grammy Award Nomination, a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Programming, and several Cannes Lion Awards at the International Festival of Creativity. In 2015 Pilobolus was named one of Dance Heritage Coalition’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures.” Pilobolus has collaborated with more than 25 brands and organizations in finance, retail, media, fashion, sports, and more to create bespoke performances for television, film, and live events.

Ticket prices range from $10 to $50. For additional information, and to purchase tickets, visit the Center for the Arts website.