By Biray Alsac
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 6, 1998

Body language

Photo courtesy of Lois Greenfield. Arizona Daily Wildcat Pilobolus at play: Try to find the missing head in this picture.

As long as strength and coordination coexist with dedication and innovation, dance will continue pushing boundaries. With more than a sprinkle of originality and stylized choreography, the dance troupe Pilobolus has accentuated and challenged the art of dancing over the past few decades.

Founded in 1971 by Moses Pendleton and Jonathan Wolken, Pilobolus began surprising the modern art world with its visionary dance tactics and sophisticated movements. Dynamic and graceful, its members eventually danced their way onto the stage. Now the six energetic dancers who currently make up the troupe are here in Tucson, ready to display their talents this weekend at the University of Arizona's Centennial Hall.

These are not your ordinary dancers; Pilobolus defines itself as "a mix of circus, sculpture, and a huge, kinetic, atomic interaction, combining each individual's talent, inventiveness, eccentricities, and humor." The featured dancers perform a lot more than just the usual leaps, pirouettes, turns, and splits. Their focus lies in artistic arrangement and the balance of body weight as well.

Pilobolus has toured extensively to many cities around the United States, as well as Central and South America, the Middle East, the Far East and Europe. The group has performed on television programs such as PBS's "Dance in America" and "Great Performances" series, "The Tonight Show," and (for the younger audience) "Sesame Street."

In conjunction with the program at Centennial Hall, Becky Jung, a former dancer with Pilobolus, spent the week sharing her experiences by teaching master classes at area high schools, dance departments, and clubs around the community. Working with all types of athletes and dancers of varying levels, she taught students the importance of interactive dancing, one of the basic elements in Pilobolus dance.

Jung began dancing as a hobby, then, like many young people, went to college and pursued an engineering degree. Fortunately for her, the school messed up her class schedule and she ended up taking several dance classes - dance has been a major part of her life ever since. After graduation, she moved to New York and, two years later, received a job with Pilobolus. She toured with the group for 7 1/2 years until she finally retired to focus her strengths more toward teaching master dance classes.

During one of Jung's workshops this week at Tucson High School, she worked for about an hour and a half with 25 advanced dancers, instructing them on expanding their techniques, and helping them work with each other to create unfamiliar situations. Students used each other's weight as a way to interact and discover new forms of movement. This was an introduction to and a brief glimpse into the way of Pilobolus dance.Today, the Education by Example Committee from the University Activities Board, in conjunction with UApresents, is conducting a workshop with Pilobolus on the UA Mall Stage from noon to 1 p.m. Becky Jung will demonstrate some techniques, as well as conduct a workshop in which everyone can participate. The experience will allow people to get exposure to Pilobolus and will, hopefully, peak their interests in terms of the show.

Many forms of dance are practiced around the world. Pilobolus is just one of the many that expresses beauty in art through brilliant, picture-perfect choreography and fantastic human imagery.

Pilobolus will be featured on Friday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. at Centennial Hall. The Friday performance will be the full-length version of the show, while the Saturday version will be a one-hour family matinee. There will be a pre-performance lecture by Amy Ernst of the UA dance faculty 45 minutes before each show (UA Douglass 101, Fri. at 7:15; Centennial Hall West Patio, Sat. at 1:15) and the opportunity to meet the artists after the matinee on Saturday. For more information about tickets, call the Centennial Hall box office at 621-3341. For information on pre-performance lectures, contact Amy Ernst at 626-8030.