Pilobolus
H.E. and I went to see a performance of Pilobolus tonight. One of their dancers was injured Tuesday, so they changed the program a little, which was kind of a bummer because I imagine the show would have been even more impressive with the original program. As it was, they began with the best and most awe-inspiring piece of the evening, one that truly characterizes Pilobolus, and then they ended with a piece that was just like any old modern dance piece.
Hey, I used to be a cheerleader and a performing dancer of jazz and hip-hop. Even though this was the first time I’d ever seen Pilobolus, I watched with a critical eye.
All in all, though, it was an awesome show. As I sat there watching them do their tumbling and sliding, their dancing and undulating, I kept imagining all the practice sessions involved when a piece is being born. I can see them trying new moves and accidentally falling over each other, missing steps, and fielding elbows. Some of the moves had people’s faces in people’s butts, and boy, if your dance partners had a wonderful Mexican bean salad earlier that day, you might not be very appreciative of that fact.
I remember one of our three cheerleading co-captains flying a stunt—a high vator, into a cradle—and for some reason, it being a new stunt group trying a basic move together for the first time, the bases and spotter completely stepped back from the cradle and, like deer caught in headlights, watched her fall flat on her back to the ground—whoosh! The wind was totally knocked out of her, and she couldn’t breathe for a full two minutes. We thought she was going to die.
And here are the Pilobolus dancers, doing all their fabulous moves, each dancer completely dependent on other dancers, trusting that they’ll be caught in time, thrown to the right place, moved at the right speed, etc. And somehow they manage to do it all without breaking into a sweat—because if they sweat, dear God, imagine all the slippery accidents!
So yeah, I was very impressed. It makes me miss my dancing days.
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My, that site was awesome. I remember feeling that kind of awe while watching Cirque du Soleil.
Also, I learned a new word today: Pilobulus. Though it’s not remotely related, I am gonna put it right beside the word ‘discombobulated,’ ‘cuz they sound similar in my mind. 😀
And also, I re-read the old post about Nadine’s braces and Ethel’s sock. That, and reading the incident of the co-captain landing flat on her back and miraculously escaping a spinal injury, makes me realize how adventurous your dancing days were. You know, like Xtreme Sports or something. So glad you made it in one piece throughout.
xoxo
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