Student Matinée Study Guide
PILOBOLUS
Touted by NYC Newsday as “… a mind-blowing troupe of wildly
creative and physically daring dancers who leap, fly, intertwine and
break all the rules,” Pilobolus continues, in its 42nd year, to redefine
the world’s understanding of dance through constant evolution,
transformation and collaboration.
Founded in 1971, Pilobolus has built its fervent and expanding
international following by showing the human body to be the most
expressive, universal, and magical of media. Pilobolus maintains its
own singular style, evolving interplay with shapeshifting, shadowplay
and other explorations, while actively collaborating with the best
and brightest minds from all conceivable professions the world over.
The results of these collaborations has proven amazing feats can be
achieved, and Pilobolus has been recognized for its developments in
dance and multimedia art. Based in Washington Depot, Connecticut,
in recent years Pilobolus has transformed from avant-garde dance
company into an international entertainment brand featured on the
likes of Oprah, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and the Academy
Awards. The company has explored worlds as disparate as advertising,
publishing, film, and music videos (Pilobolus was nominated for a
2012 Grammy Award for the video for OK Go’s All Is Not Lost). Pilobolus
achieves all this without ever losing sight of their core mission: to make
art that builds community.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
PILOBOLUS: THE FUNGUS
Pilobolus shares its name with a fungus that grows in pastures on
cow manure. It is about 1cm. tall; the fungus is about the height of a
fingernail. Pilobolus has a light sensitive eye on its long stalk which
helps it bends and lean towards the light. When its spore babies are ripe
and ready, Pilobolus uses water pressure like a water cannon to shoot
its spores far away from the parent fungus. The water cannon is so
powerful that Pilobolus is the fastest living organism.
Why do you think Pilobolus the dance company chose to share their
name with this fungus?
PILOBOLUS: YOUNG
THE PERFORMANCE
Rules @ Play is a lively, interactive show created specifically for a youth
audience. Throughout life we all encounter rules and we usually view
them negatively. Rules @ Play explores how rules actually present
opportunities to solve problems and overcome challenges. They spark
creativity and, in our case, give us tools to make dances. Pilobolus
dancers perform and analyze four of the company’s favorite works
through movement and discussion on and off stage, showcasing the
benefits of playing by the rules in this fun, engaging and accessible show.
RULES@PLAY THE PIECES
In Walklyndon (1971), the oldest Pilobolus piece currently performed,
we show how the nascent company thrived when forced to adhere to an
unusual rule: Make a dance without dancers.
A performance of Pseudopodia (1973) follows an onstage experiment
that calls for audience volunteers to improvise and surmount
selfimposed rules.
In The Transformation (2007), an excerpt from the Pilobolus production
Shadowland currently touring internationally, we explore an instance
where rules imposed by others force us to reach beyond our normal
ways of doing things, leading to unimagined discoveries.
In the finale, All Is Not Lost (2011), a collaboration created with rock
band OK Go – the Pilobolus production team steps forward from behind
the curtain to explain how limitations on time and space led to creative
solutions that enhanced the fast-paced, tech-heavy piece, helping to
create what is now a Pilobolus fan favorite.
RULES@PLAY 6 WORDS
After performing Rules @ Play, we ask audience members to answer the
question “What is Pilobolus?” in exactly 6 words (one last rule!). Here
are some of the many wonderful, inventive responses we received...
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Pilobolus is an enchanting dance illusion. - Andreea, Age 9
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Rules are cool. Wow, who knew? - Megan, Mom
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Very energetic dancers creating different arts. - Aidan, Age 10
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Amazing, Fabulous, Professional, Awesome, Surprised, Terrific!
– Forth Grade Class
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Pilobolus dances but they don’t dance. - Guy, Age 11
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Pilobolus was energetic and very entertaining! - Shani, Age 14
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Immensely imaginative! Inspired many minds! LOVE! – Mark, Dad
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Pilobolus is people transforming into creativity. – Andre, Age 11
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Exotic movement with their flexible bodies. – Lucas, Age 9
Pilobolus would love to hear from you!
Please send your six word description of Pilobolus to [email protected].
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VOCABULARY & BEHIND THE SCENES
Definitions derived from merriam-webster.com
aesthetic: have a sensitivity for beauty and art
anthropologist: a scientist who studies human cultures and
the way they develop
artistic director: the executive of an arts organization that handles the
organization’s artistic direction
ballet: a dance form that is based on five positions of the body; ballets tell
a story with precise movements and shapes in intricate patterns
choreographer: creates the dance steps, patterns, movements, and
formations of a dance piece
choreography: the composition and arrangement of dances and
dance steps
collaboration: to work jointly with others or together to create a
something new
concert dance: dance performed on a stage; concert dance is more
formal than social dances
contemporary dance: an evolving collection of training and chorographic
approaches to dance. Derived from the intention to make dance
performances relevant to contemporary cultures and to break form the
tight structure of classical forms
contort: to bend or twist something out of its normal shape
contradictions: opposing statements or assertions about a subject or idea.
costumes: article of clothing use to help communicate the story that a
performer is trying to communicate
duet: a dance performed by two dancers
ensemble: a groups of dancers, actors or musicians who perform together
expressive: conveying feelings or thoughts clearly
improvisation: in this context, dance that is created in the moment,
without prior planning by the artist, dancer or musician
interpretation: explaining what something means
lighting designer: creates the lighting concept for a production and
contributes to the overall look of the stage
longevity: long life
metaphorical: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that usually
means one thing is used to mean another thing
narrative: a written, spoken, or performed account of connected events;
the telling of a story
nascent: not fully developed
partnering: in dance, the giving and taking of two dancers’ weight and
the physical push and pull between them
physicality: having to do with the body, the use of the body and the
physical attributes of a person’s body
re-envision: to imagine or visualize something as a future possibility
reverence: deep respect for
solo: a dance performed by a single dancer
subversive: undermine a power of authority
surmount: overcome a challenge
symbiotic: a close prolonged association between two or
more different organisms
symposium: a conference or meeting surrounding one subject area
unison: all dancers moving together at the same time doing the
same movement
variations: repeating thematic material in a different way or form
vernacular: using a language or dialect native to a region or country
ELEMENTS OF DANCE
Dance is the movement of the human body through space in time using
energy. These are often referred to as BASTE, the five recognized elements*
of dance including: Body, Action, Space, Time and Energy. It is important to
understand each element as they come together to create the whole.
Body refers to the awareness of specific body parts and how they can be
moved in isolation and combination.
Action refers to locomotor movement and non–locomotor movement.
■■ Locomotor action includes movement that travels through space
such as walking, running, jumping, and leaping.
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Non-locomotor or axial action refers to movement with body
parts while the main part of the body stays planted in one space.
Examples of non-locomotor action are swaying, shaking, stretching,
and twisting.
Space refers to the space the dancer’s body moves through, the shape of
the dancer’s body, the direction of the body movements, and the shapes,
levels and movement patterns of a group of dancers.
Time is applied as both a musical and dance element which includes
beat, tempo, accent, and duration.
Energy refers to the force applied to dance to accentuate the weight,
attack, strength, and flow of a dancer’s movement.
OBSERVATION AND INCITE
PRIOR TO THE PERFORMANCE, CONSIDER THE
FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1. Does the dance have a specific purpose?
2. How could story be conveyed through dance? What elements will
you look for?
3. How do the sets, lighting, costumes and music help make the show
more enjoyable and understandable?
PERFORMANCE REFLECTION
1. Describe your reaction to the performance. What did it make you
think and feel?
2. How did costume add meaning to the piece?
3. Identify an example of metaphor through movement or lighting that
you witnessed in the performance.
WHAT DID THEY MEAN TO YOU?
1. What do you know about story-telling through dance that you didn’t
know before?
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FOR TEACHERS
BRANCHING OUT WITH CURRICULA –
CLASSROOM CONNECTION
Metaphors and symbolism are elements used in a variety of subjects
and mediums.
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Discuss with your students how symbolism and/or metaphor relate
to a text or other media subject in your curriculum.
If they were to create a dance inspired by that text, what would the
movements look like?
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Brainstorm ideas for an appropriate set.
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What objects might they incorporate in to the piece?
CURRICULUM APPLICATION/ARTISTRY
Dance is an excellent barometer of student understanding of various
concepts and lessons. “It’s hard to dance it if you don’t understand it.”
Dance can also enhance and help understanding, leading the student to
explore, think creatively, and ultimately learn. To follow are some ideas
for dance artistry/ curriculum application. Use the warm up and BASTE
elements, as well as the activities as guides to incorporating these ideas.
GEOGRAPHY
Students can create a dance that demonstrates their understanding
of terrain by using changes in body levels. A narrator can be added to
describe a tour across a place. The dance will show a relationship to
mountains, valleys, deserts, canyons, etc. Students can pick a specific
country, or area, or state, then use movements, shapes, as well as their
imaginations, to create a dance metaphor.
HISTORY
Students can create a dance, with corresponding movements, to illustrate
an historical event, like the signing of the Declaration of Independence, or
the Bering Strait Migration.
VOCABULARY
Common social studies words such as democracy, revolution, or freedom,
can be demonstrated by students using movement, shape, tempo, etc.
SCIENCE
Movement, collaboration and teamwork are particularly valuable in the
sciences. Dances can be created to show the dependence (collaboration
or teamwork) of:
Body Systems: respiratory, circulatory, digestive, nervous
Seasons and Cycles: life cycles, a specific season
Machines and Mechanical Actions: pulleys, levers, tools, engines
Electricity and Magnetic Forces: polar opposites, pull, repel, circuits
Space and Solar Systems: rotation, relative size, order of planets
MATH
Math dances can be enlightening exercises to demonstrate how clearly
students understand basic math concepts. Students can be given
problems (adding, multiplying, geometric shapes, fractions, etc.) and then
asked to show the solution to the problem through movement, phrases,
shapes and working together.
In addition, dance can help a student understand quantity, for example,
75%, 1/3, etc. Students can be given set tempos at which to move, and
then changes in tempo will be called out (“now move at 50% of that
speed”). Areas can be marked out, or students may be asked to walk
through 2/3 of the space.
LANGUAGE ARTS
There are a variety of ways to demonstrate or enhance students’
understanding of language, and ideas. For example: story telling through
dance and a narrator, or using word cards to increase vocabulary and an
understanding of the meaning of individual words.
Students can create poem dances by choosing a poem, then using BASTE
elements, choreograph movements for each line of the poem.
Create antonym and synonym movement comparisons by asking students
to create movement for basic emotions and their opposites: love/hate,
sad/happy; etc. Move onto other word pairs: smooth/jerky, tight/loose. Pair
the students and have one create movement for one word, the other for its
antonym. Do the same for synonyms.
Dance a scene from a play or a story. Or, in groups working together,
choose a scene from a play or story and create a shape that best
describes it. Freeze in the shape.
Branching out lessons and final thoughts adapted from CJSB/ SJU Fine
Arts Programming “Catch” Study Guide developed by Tim Ternes.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
SPEAKING & LISTENING
GRADE 7
■■ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building
on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1a Come to discussions prepared, having
read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to
probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES
GRADE 6-8
■■ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g.,
in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other
information in print and digital texts.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
SCIENCE & TECHNICAL SUBJECTS
GRADE 6-8
■■ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols,
key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases.
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