World-Renowned Modern Dance Company Pilobolus Celebrates 50 Years with Performance at Pepperdine University

January 9, 2023  –  Malibu, CA – Internationally-acclaimed modern dance company Pilobolus is returning to Pepperdine University for a special 50-year anniversary performance at Smothers Theatre on Wednesday, January 25 at 8 PM. The “Big Five Oh” event will be Pilobolus’ 15th performance at Pepperdine.

“Pilobolus always bring their wit and stunning physical acumen to the stage at Pepperdine,” said Rebecca Carson, managing director of the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University. “The audience can expect to be wowed and very much a part of the experience.”

Founded in 1971 at Dartmouth College, Pilobolus has won numerous prestigious awards including a Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Programming. Over the past 50 years, the company has performed around the globe in events ranging from the Oscars to the Olympics and collaborated with some of the world's greatest influencers and creators.

“We are so fortunate to be able to do what we do,” said Matt Kent, Pilobolus co-artistic director and former dancer. “People like us, and we can continue innovating and keep that ideal alive.”

REPERTOIRE:

MegaWatt
Solo Suitor
The Ballad
Behind The Shadows
Untitled

THE DETAILS:

WHAT: Pilobolus Big Five-Oh! 
WHEN: Wednesday, January 25, 2023, 8 p.m.
WHERE:  Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA
TICKETS: (310) 506-4522 or arts.pepperdine.edu
PRICES: $25–$55 for adults, $10 for Pepperdine students

About Pepperdine University
Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is an independent, Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in scenic Malibu, California. The University enrolls approximately 10,300 students across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Follow Pepperdine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Pilobolus
Pilobolus is a rebellious dance company. Since 1971, Pilobolus has tested the limits of human physicality to explore the beauty and the power of connected bodies. The dance company continues 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 a digitally driven and increasingly mediated landscape, Pilobolus also reaches beyond performance to teach people how to connect through designed live experiences. The dance company brings 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. Over the years, Pilobolus has performed for millions of people across the U.S. and around the world. Pilobolus has been featured on CBS This Morning, 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 75 brands and organizations in finance, retail, media, fashion, sports, and more to create bespoke performances for television, film, and live events.

 

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