The Detroit Opera House Presents Pilobolus, 10/31-11/1

The Detroit News is reporting that The Detroit Opera House will present the Pilobolus dance company in performance this weekend, October 31 - November 1.  The show will feature some old favorites in addition to some original numbers making their live debut. 

Pilobolus, named for a fungus, began as an experimental dance class in 1971 at Dartmouth College.  They have maintained their small intimate structure to this day. They were selected to dance for the 2007 Oscar Awards, performing a montage wherein the dancers created physical silhouettes of the nominated films.  The dance company has also been featured on Oprah and in Hyundai commercials.  

"We figure what's interesting to us, or makes us laugh or cry, will be interesting to a lot of people, troupe co-founder and choreographer Jonathan Wolken tells the Detroit News. There's no telling what we're going to come up with. I tell people to expect the unexpected."

To read the full article in the Detroit News, click here.

The dance troupe will perform six numbers as part of Pilobolus, including:

LANTERNA MAGICA, a new full-company work choreographed by co-Artistic Director Michael Tracy. This work immerses the audience in the luminous spirit of the natural world and uses ritual and mythology to create a mysterious and irresistible sensual celebration of the supernatural.

GNOMEN, the Pilobolus classic that features a quartet for men whose lyrical exploration of relationships emerges from an unusually inventive physical vocabulary. 

WALKLYNDON, a silent dance owing much of its physical humor to slapstick and vaudeville. Six colorfully dressed jocks romp, bump, kick and galumph.

DOG ID, a shadow piece making its North American premiere in which a young woman is transformed. Created in collaboration with Steven Banks, lead writer for the brilliant animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.

MEGAWATT, a full-company piece that blends startling energy with an ironic take on the high-voltage state of the world. Ultra-dynamic moves are set to the music of Primus, Radiohead and Squarepusher display the company's physical endurance and prowess.

PSEUDOPODIA, a tumbling tumbleweed solo set to an all-percussion score.

Tickets are on sale for the productions, running tomorrow night, October 31 and Sunday night, November 1. Ticket prices are $29-$76. For tickets, showtimes and more information, visit www.michiganopera.org or call (313) 237-SING/(800) 745-3000.

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