About the Book
The dynamic history of the
innovative, beloved, and critically acclaimed dance theater company, with
revelatory behind-the-scenes details of its creators and significant works
The ingeniously innovative and enduringly popular
American dance theatre company Pilobolus has helped redefine, remix, and
rejuvenate the essence of dance with its eclectic sensibility and daring
athleticism. Now, for the first time, the story of Pilobolus, from its
counterculture origins through its pop-culture triumphs and contemporary global
acclaim, is revealed in a book that will entrance longtime admirers and
newcomers alike.
Written with unprecedented access
to the company--with insights from unpublished archival materials and interviews
with its founders, dancers, and current artistic directors--and featuring both
classic and never-before-seen photos,
Pilobolus offers previously untold
details about the group's history and the creation of its most significant
works. Robert Pranzatelli describes the company's genesis in a Dartmouth dance
class in 1971 and how Pilobolus revolutionized dance with its blend of
sensuality, physical achievement, and visual wit. In these pages, the troupe performs
on Broadway, travels the world, and by the late 1980s secures a place in dance
history, while its growth is marked by periods of internal conflict,
challenges, and change.
As Pilobolus continues to morph, invent, and thrive with
the arrival of new artists and collaborators, its story encompasses love, loss,
grief, and rebirth, as well as insights into the secrets of the creative
process--how performers and choreographers think and work. More than a
history,
Pilobolus is a narrative of life and art, and the vitality that
infuses and inspires both when they align and inhabit each other.
