Pilobolus

The American dance group Pilobolus is currently touring the Netherlands, and last night we went to see their performance at the Arnhem Schouwburg. Stunning as always. Hard to believe that I first saw Pilobolus well over thirty years ago at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London. Of course, many dancers in the troupe have come and gone since then, but the style and vision remain consistent: surprising, organic and striking.

The programme that they are currently touring with includes five works, four of which are new to the Netherlands. One was actually a shadow play; we see the dancers momentarily at the beginning and at the end, but for the rest of the time the stage is filled by a giant screen on which the dancers behind create images of light and shadow. The fifth – the finale to the programme – is one that we have seen many times before, but which we never tire of seeing again: Day Two. It’s a real crowd-pleaser, and had last night’s audience giving a standing ovation. Well, almost all the audience: there were three ballet students behind us in row three, and one in front of me. I think they were a little taken aback at what they saw, and didn’t know quite how to react. They sat resolutely slumped in their seats at the end while the rest of the audience was on its feet and applauding wildly. We enjoyed it, and the three friends that we had persuaded to come along with us (one of whom had never been to a live dance performance before) were bowled over by what they had seen.