Profiles: Matt Del Rosario

Matt explores life with a childlike curiosity and a youthful heart. As such, his improvisations are
playful and unexpected. He can often be seen experimenting with a new move, discovering ways
to make it fit his body. His investigative qualities are personified in his role in 2B, a quartet
he collaborated on and was ultimately cast in wearing a foam fish head as a part of his costume.

Questions for Matt Del Rosario, Pilobolus Dancer

Hailing from the island of Lanai in Hawaii, Matt plays the ukulele, loves to surf, and enjoys
curating his extensive collection of Nerf munitions. He discovered dance late in his life, but
through much determination went on to graduate from North Carolina School of the Arts with a
BFA in Dance. 2010 marks his second season with Pilobolus.

Matt sports his fish head in "2B," our second collaboration with Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak
Jeffrey: Like many of the men of Pilobolus, you came late to dance. How did it all start?
Matt: It all started when I was attending the University of Hawaii. I began as an inspired
education major, but before long I started skipping class to surf. My Oh, Ill go tomorrow
attitude led to me failing multiple classes. So, I decided to take a dance class to boost my GPA.
I signed up for beginning ballet with Paul Maley, who happened to be an alumnus of North
Carolina School of the Arts. It was the hardest thing in the world, but I really enjoyed it and
didnt give up. Paul got me in contact with NCSA and that year the dean of NCSAs dance
department flew to Hawaii to audition me at home. After the audition she invited me to come to
the school, and thats how I got started.
Jeffrey: Youve talked before about coming to the mainland and it being a big deal. What was
it like leaving Hawaii?
Matt: It was a journey leaving my home. Some of the most difficult moments of my life
happened in North Carolina, but I discovered a whole new world! Even to this day I feel like
Im still adjusting.
Jeffrey: How did you come to be in Pilobolus?
Matt: I heard of Pilobolus through a friend. I auditioned in February of 2008. I actually started
my audition by sending videos. I was in North Carolina at the time and I couldnt afford a plane
ticket to fly up to NYC for the audition so I just sent videos of me jumping, running, dancing, et
cetera. Through numerous emails I finally found myself in NYC auditioning for Pilobolus. Day
after day after day, the audition went on and, finally, I was the last man standing. I got a call and
was offered the job!
Jeffrey: Since you joined the company in 2008, youve helped create three pieces and have
learned countless others. Do you have a favorite?

Matt: My favorite piece to perform would have to be Gnomen. There is a sense of

brotherhood and compassion that I really respect about this piece.
Jeffrey: Any favorite tour destinations?
Matt: So far I think Australia has been my favorite it touches the Pacific Ocean and it made
me feel closer to home.
Jeffrey: How do you like being on tour?
Matt: The traveling is the best part about being in Pilobolus. Touring the world gives me so
many opportunities for adventure and to experience life. At the same time, touring can be the
most challenging aspect. I find that always being on the move tires you out quickly. I miss
being in my home and sleeping in my own bed, but I have the rest of my life to do those things
so why not travel the world now?
Jeffrey: Is there any place you havent toured yet but would like to?
Matt: Many places, but above all Hawaii, so my family could see what Im doing with my life,
and so that maybe I can inspire someone from Hawaii to do what I have done. I left home to
follow my dream and to prove that the impossible is possible.

Matt makes possible the impossible.

Please share!
This entry was posted on January 26, 2010 at 10:34 am and is filed under Dancers, Profiles with tags Gnomen, Matt,
NCSA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback
from your own site.

3 Responses to Profiles: Matt Del Rosario

1.
Matthew Hetznecker Says:
January 26, 2010 at 9:06 pm

I love hearing from dancers, especially the men. Well, because Im a male dancer and
started late in life.
I love joy that the whole company seems to embody!
Great flag Matt!
Reply
o
pilobolus Says:
January 26, 2010 at 9:38 pm

Hi Matthew! Thanks for commenting. Male dancers unite! How did you get into
dance? Id love to hear your story.
I think we, as male dancers, are fortunate to have so many opportunities in the
dance field even though we often discover dance later in life than our female
counterparts. But I wonder if that is because in our generally patriarchal society
boys are typically encouraged to participate in sports rather than the arts (even
though dancers are very obviously athletes) while nobody thinks twice about
enrolling their daughter in ballet class. I also wonder if in this age of mixing of
gender roles and blurring of social context if young males will discover their love
for dance sooner and if future generations will experience a slightly less
unbalanced ratio of female to male dancers?
Reply
2.
Debra Frieden Says:
January 26, 2010 at 1:30 pm

I loved seeing this interview with Matt. Great job Matt! Making things happen! Success
through adversity and obstacles takes strength and courage.

Lanterna Magica
Posted in Pilobolus News with tags choreography, Lanterna, Magica, repertory on January 29,
2010 by pilobolus

We just posted another short video of one of our pieces to YouTube. Lanterna Magica is a
sextet, choreographed in 2007 by Michael Tracy in collaboration with Andrew Herro, Jeffrey
Huang, Jun Kuribayashi, Jenny Mendez, Edwin Olvera, and Annika Sheaff. In a previous post,
we wrote about our choreographic process. Lanterna Magica has a particularly interesting
story.
Leave A Comment
Profiles: Matt Del Rosario
Posted in Dancers, Profiles with tags Gnomen, Matt, NCSA on January 26, 2010 by pilobolus

Matt explores life with a childlike curiosity and a youthful heart. As such, his improvisations are
playful and unexpected. He can often be seen experimenting with a new move, discovering ways
to make it fit his body. His investigative qualities are personified in his role in 2B, a quartet
he collaborated on and was ultimately cast in wearing a foam fish head as a part of his costume.

Questions for Matt Del Rosario, Pilobolus Dancer

Hailing from the island of Lanai in Hawaii, Matt plays the ukulele, loves to surf, and enjoys
curating his extensive collection of Nerf munitions. He discovered dance late in his life, but
through much determination went on to graduate from North Carolina School of the Arts with a
BFA in Dance. 2010 marks his second season with Pilobolus.

Matt sports his fish head in "2B," our second collaboration with Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak
Jeffrey: Like many of the men of Pilobolus, you came late to dance. How did it all start?
Matt: It all started when I was attending the University of Hawaii. I began as an inspired
education major, but before long I started skipping class to surf. My Oh, Ill go tomorrow
attitude led to me failing multiple classes. So, I decided to take a dance class to boost my GPA.
I signed up for beginning ballet with Paul Maley, who happened to be an alumnus of North
Carolina School of the Arts. It was the hardest thing in the world, but I really enjoyed it and
didnt give up. Paul got me in contact with NCSA and that year the dean of NCSAs dance
department flew to Hawaii to audition me at home. After the audition she invited me to come to
the school, and thats how I got started.
Jeffrey: Youve talked before about coming to the mainland and it being a big deal. What was
it like leaving Hawaii?
Matt: It was a journey leaving my home. Some of the most difficult moments of my life
happened in North Carolina, but I discovered a whole new world! Even to this day I feel like
Im still adjusting.
Jeffrey: How did you come to be in Pilobolus?
Matt: I heard of Pilobolus through a friend. I auditioned in February of 2008. I actually started
my audition by sending videos. I was in North Carolina at the time and I couldnt afford a plane
ticket to fly up to NYC for the audition so I just sent videos of me jumping, running, dancing, et
cetera. Through numerous emails I finally found myself in NYC auditioning for Pilobolus. Day
after day after day, the audition went on and, finally, I was the last man standing. I got a call and
was offered the job!

Jeffrey: Since you joined the company in 2008, youve helped create three pieces and have
learned countless others. Do you have a favorite?
Matt: My favorite piece to perform would have to be Gnomen. There is a sense of
brotherhood and compassion that I really respect about this piece.
Jeffrey: Any favorite tour destinations?
Matt: So far I think Australia has been my favorite it touches the Pacific Ocean and it made
me feel closer to home.
Jeffrey: How do you like being on tour?
Matt: The traveling is the best part about being in Pilobolus. Touring the world gives me so
many opportunities for adventure and to experience life. At the same time, touring can be the
most challenging aspect. I find that always being on the move tires you out quickly. I miss
being in my home and sleeping in my own bed, but I have the rest of my life to do those things
so why not travel the world now?
Jeffrey: Is there any place you havent toured yet but would like to?
Matt: Many places, but above all Hawaii, so my family could see what Im doing with my life,
and so that maybe I can inspire someone from Hawaii to do what I have done. I left home to
follow my dream and to prove that the impossible is possible.

Matt makes possible the impossible.

Please share!

3 Comments
Poll: Audience Participation
Posted in Polls with tags feedback, suggestions on January 22, 2010 by pilobolus

Its been a little over a month since we started the Pilobolus Blog and its time for a check-in
with the most important aspect of this blog: You.
We want to hear your comments, suggestions, and whatever you have to say. With your
collaboration we can tailor our blog to your interests. Take our poll, comment below, or email
jhuang+suggestions@pilobolus.org.
Thanks in advance for your time and feedback!
I am interested in:

Audition infoUpcoming projectsWorkshops/intensives/master classesPilobolus

dancers/directors/staff profilesPhotos/videos of repertoryGeneral art/dance newsOther:
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com

Leave A Comment
Rushes, Part 2: Peter Sluszka
Posted in Pilobolus News with tags animation, Decemberists, Peter, Rushes, Sluszka on
January 18, 2010 by pilobolus

This is part two of our series of posts on Rushes, the 2007 collaboration with Inbal Pinto and
Avshalom Pollak.

Every piece is the result of multiple collaborations; dancers, artistic directors, costume designers,
lighting designers, and composers collectively put in hundreds of hours to create a single, unified
work. For Rushes, we enlisted the artistry and mind of Peter Sluszka, NYC-based animation
director for Hornet, Inc., to create a short sequence that one of the characters dreams during his
slumber. Although you can view the animation in our Rushes clip on our YouTube channel,
we are happy to report that you can see a much clearer version, albeit slightly modified for
viewing independent of the original context, on the Hornet, Inc. website.
A few questions for Peter:
Pilobolus: How did you get into your art?
Peter: I studied English and visual arts at Columbia University before taking animation courses
at the School of Visual Arts. Ultimately, stop-motion animation seemed like a good way to
combine a lot of my creative interests because it lets you create character and story, as well as
visually experimental work.
Pilobolus: Was this your first time working with dancers?
Peter: The Rushes project was the first time I had worked with dancers and was also the first
time I had created work specifically for a live performance. It was a great experience, so when I
had an opportunity to do some more concert projections for the Decemberists last fall, I jumped
on it. I think the considerations inherent in conceiving work meant to play with performers
challenges you to think about your creative process in new ways and thats usually a positive
thing.

A still from Peter's work for the Decemberists

Pilobolus: How was it collaborating with so many choreographers and dancers?
Peter: Working with Pilobolus, Avshalom, and Inbal was a unique and challenging experience
for me. The most rewarding part was coming to the studio and observing the dancers and
choreographers collaborating. As the performance developed, I would go back to the studio and
create imagery based on what I had seen, as well as discussed with Robby Barnett [Pilobolus
artistic director], Avshalom, and Inbal. As it was experimental, dreamy, and abstract, not
everything I shot worked so there was definitely trial and error involved in developing content
that seemed to fit. Periodically, we projected work in progress at rehearsal with the dancers
participation and as the dance performance became more cohesive, so did the film.
Pilobolus: You used some wonderfully resourceful techniques to achieve some of the imagery in
the dream animation. Can you tell us a little about your creation process?
Peter: Mostly I shot on a multi-plane set up with the camera rigged above looking through
planes of glass. I shot a lot of ink and water, as well as sodium bicarbonate, the fancy term for
ground up Alka-Seltzer. While these interactions had a less controllable, organic quality, I also
animated photo cutouts, colored blocks, and branches, trying to create more controlled but
hallucinatory transformations between the dream images.
Pilobolus: Last question whose work has influenced you and why?
Peter: Some of the early guys I really liked and got me interested in animation are Ladislas
Starevich, Terry Gilliam, Nick Park, and Tim Burton. While all of these directors started as
animators, most of them have worked with mixed media in interesting and inspiring ways.

We think Peters work is interesting and inspiring, too, to say the least. You can see more of his
animation online on the Hornet, Inc. website, including a sequence created for Youth in
Revolt, a recently released major motion picture featuring Michael Cera.

P.S. If you wish to see the entire visually stunning projections for The
Decemberists concert featuring the animations of Peter and three other directors, the music
feature film Here Come The Waves The Hazards of Love Visualized is available for rent or
purchase on iTunes.
Leave A Comment
Rushes, Part 1
Posted in Pilobolus News with tags Avshalom, Inbal, Peter, Pinto, Pollak, Rushes, Sluszka on
January 13, 2010 by pilobolus

Today we begin a series of posts on Rushes, our first collaboration with Israeli choreographers
Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak (2007). The Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak Dance Company
has performed around the globe; check out their websites gorgeous video and photo
footage. Peter Sluszka, a NYC-based director and animator, also collaborated on Rushes,
creating a surrealist animated dream sequence projected atop one characters head as he falls into
a deep sleep midway through the piece. Heres a clip of Rushes we posted to YouTube. (You
can find more of our videos on our YouTube channel.)
Audience members often ask us what our pieces are about after they see a show; we tend to be
more interested in how what they saw was meaningful to them. There really are no right or
wrong interpretations of Piloboluss art. In response to Rushes, we have been asked, Youre
insects, right?, and we have been told the piece was about people in the limbo of an insane
asylum waiting room. What do you think?
Leave A Comment

Mailbag #4: Strength Training

Posted in Mailbag with tags strength training, technique on January 7, 2010 by pilobolus

Pulled from a comment on our YouTube video about the Big Sit:
Guys, can you please respond to a strength training question? I joined a dance group last year.
Having had some gymnastics training Im probably the strongest lifter of the group, but Im still
not strong enough to do one arm raises like this one. One of the things that hinders me is that
my shoulders do not fully go back so I end up having to support the weight a little in front of me,
rather than over my head, which is very hard. Can you give me any specific exercise tips?
Sambucca
Hi Sambucca,
The Big Sit is a combination of technique and strength and how we use the balance between
lifting a dancer and lifting ones self. It is a little difficult to notice in the video; Andy is actually
using both of his arms to lift Annika (he is using his left hand as a shelf to lift up through her left
foot) and Annika is pushing herself up using her left foot. All the magic happens at about 0:19.
Its quick. Many of Pilobolean moves rely on open collaboration and communication between
lifters and liftees.
As for specific exercise tips, were not certified or even officially trained in personal training, so
giving you specific tips might not be the best idea. However, we try to stay limber to keep as
much range of motion as possible. Our rehearsals and performing keep us fit and many of our
dancers cross-train in yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and running, are just a few, to vary their
movement and stay in shape.
Thanks for your question! Hope this helps!
Pilobolus
Have you ever had a question that you were dying to ask after a show? Or are you curious what
the dancers eat? Whether your inquiry is important or trivial, commonplace or abnormal, weve
got your answer. Email your question to jhuang+mailbag@pilobolus.org.
1 Comment
Pilobolus Glossary: London Bridge
Posted in Pilobolus Glossary with tags glossary, London Bridge on December 28, 2009 by
pilobolus

The London Bridge, performed by Jun, Chris, and Matt. It is not in any piecesyet.
2 Comments
Happy Holidays!
Posted in Pilobolus News on December 26, 2009 by pilobolus

Enjoy the new year! A few more weeks in the studio then off to Albuquerque, NM January
16th. We look forward to seeing some of you there.

1 Comment
Profiles: Annika Sheaf
Posted in Dancers, Profiles with tags Annika, Juilliard on December 23, 2009 by pilobolus

For Annika, exuberant is an understatement and playful is a lifestyle, and we love every
aspect of her inimitable performances, onstage and off. Shes as pliable as a paperclip (anyone
seen the womens duet in Lanterna Magica?) and strong enough to lift brawny male Pilobolus
dancers (see Persistence of Memory, second photo below)a combination of power and
grace that never fails to captivate those who watch her.

Backstage with Annika Sheaff, Dancer

A native of a Chicago suburb, Annika Sheaff has been dancing since she was three years old.
Annika is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where she received the Juilliard Interarts Award for
her arts education outreach work in New York, Florida, and South Africa. Shortly after
graduating in 2006, she joined Pilobolus and is now beginning her fourth season with the
company. She is married to a percussionist, and when shes home from tour she relaxes by
knitting and making recipes from Martha Stewart magazine.

Annika and Manelich in "Persistence of Memory" (2007)

Jeffrey: Annika, youre well into your fourth year with Pilobolus. How does it feel to finally be
one of the seniors in the company?
Annika: It is a ton of fun to finally feel like I know what I am doing, and to be able to answer
the newer dancers questions. I feel a sense of responsibility that I have not felt before, which is
a bit intimidating, but I can handle the new challenge!
Jeffrey: Youve been a beautiful dancer to watch since you joined the company in 2006, yet you
say its taken you four years to finally feel like you know what youre doing. Anybody who has
danced with Pilobolus Im sure felt the same way during their time in the company and knows
what youre talking about, but can you try to explain that experience?
Annika: Pilobolus is a dance company that has its own technique. Most companies require
dancers to have some knowledge of ballet or modern technique, but to get through a Pilobolus
audition you have to bust out some very different skills. You have to show them how creative,
innovative, fun, smart, and playful you are through movement. When you dance with Pilobolus,
you spend your entire first year figuring out this new style. It takes a long time to feel confident
in such a foreign movement vocabulary.
Jeffrey: I remember at the end of my first year, I felt like I was just beginning to grasp the basics
there was no way I would have been ready to leave after my first or even my second year.
Annika: Me, too.

Jeffrey: Whats your favorite piece to perform?

Annika: I have two favorites right now, Day Two and Rushes. I love performing Day
Twoa classic Pilobolus piece made in 1981because it allows me to go to a place that I rarely
get to go in my every day life. I can be very sexual and raw, a tribal woman, strong and
vulnerable all at once. It is a rush.
Rushes, from 2007, is a piece that I was lucky enough to help create. We collaborated on it
with the Israeli choreographers Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollack, who I think are genius artists.
I was able to help create a world, and a character within that world, that over the past three years
I have become attached to. I learn more and more about the character each time I perform the
dance. It is amazing to feel that even though I have performed Rushes hundreds of times, every
performance is still new for me, and I can always dig deeper into it.
Jeffrey: I loved that about Rushes. Even when I thought I had my character down, Avshalom
came back the next year and gave us notes and it made me analyze every movement all over
again and think, Why am I looking there? or Why is my character nervous right now?
Rushes never got old for me. Like you said, its something new every time. And now youre
starting a new project with Art Spiegelman! Hows that going?
Annika: So far, the process has been different than our typical process, which for me is a nice
change of pace. Usually we work very fast, with lots of improv, hundreds of ideas, and nothing
is settled until the second or third week of creation. With this work, there already seems to be a
very clear idea of what we are trying to create. We are receiving very strong direction and ideas
from Art, all totally brilliant. I am having a great time so far!
Jeffrey: I cant wait to see what you guys come up with! Jun is keeping me abreast of the
progress with some photo and video. It looks really interesting!
If youve ever met Annika Sheaf, you know that exuberant is an understatement
and wacky is a lifestyle for her, and we love her that way. Annika is as pliable as a
paperclip (seen the womens duet in Lanterna Magica, anyone?) and strong
enough to manhandle a tough Pilobolus dancer (as seen in the duet Persistence of
Memory), a captivating combination that always delivers.

1 Comment
Performing for the Queen
Posted in Pilobolus News with tags Bette Midler, Chaka Khan, John Lennon, Lady Gaga, Miley
Cyrus, queen, Royal Variety Performance, Whoopi Goldberg on December 21, 2009 by
pilobolus

On December 7, Piloboluss Shadowland cast performed at the Royal Variety Performance in

Blackpool, England, a 97-year-old annual show traditionally held for the Royal Family and
televised to millions of people around the world thereafter. Artistic Associate/Rehearsal
Director/Special Projects Creative Director/Veteran Dancer Renee Jaworski talks about what it
was like to perform for the Queen.
My first thought when we walked down the long entranceway to the Winter Garden Theater in
Blackpool was that we were jesters and acrobats arriving in a Renaissance court. It was a
beautiful theater with about 3,000 seats, balconies, and massive chandelier. The Queen sat in a
box with four other people in the first balcony, stage left of center. At the end of our set, we
bowed first to the audience, and then turned to bow to Her Majesty the Queen.
The dancers and I choreographed a special piece for this performancea fantasy story of a
burglar stealing the royal crown from the Tower of London, and a young superhero, who is half
dog/half girl, and her sidekick chase him all over the country to rescue the crown. I wanted the
piece to be light-hearted and kid-friendly because it was early in the show. I was completely
nervous that were somehow going to insult the Queen and all of England by telling this made-up
tale. But I kept reminding myself that our single goal was to make the audience to laugh.
Thankfully, they did.
Everyone in the greenroom backstage was very encouraging. Bette Midler, who gave a beautiful
performance, and the hilarious Whoopi Goldberg were there with us, as was Chaka Kahn. Miley
Cyrus was very sweet, and Lady Gaga showed some truly talented singing and piano playing
skills. Everyone wanted to know who did our new, catchy music (David Poe!).
The Queen met us on stage after the show and was warm and grandmotherly. She asked us where
we had been and where our company was going next. We had been instructed on etiquette before
meeting herdont speak until your spoken to; address her as Your Majesty; say maam as in
jam, not maram as in smarm; and do not extend your hand until a hand is extended towards
you. I was sure she had reached her hand out to me when I extended mine, but then I wasnt so
sure, and was frozen as we spoke, expecting guards to come and whisk me away. But all was fine
until she walked away and I realized Id been barefoot the whole time that I talked to her!
Perhaps not as overt as John Lennons famous line, but I think itll go down in history as a
classic Pilobolus move.
Leave A Comment
Another sneak peek
Posted in Pilobolus News with tags Art, preview, sneak peek, Spiegelman on December 21,
2009 by pilobolus

Hey fans,
Weve got an early present for you: another sneak peek of our collaboration with Art
Spiegelman!
Leave A Comment
Mailbag #3: David Poe
Posted in Mailbag with tags david poe, Mailbag, shadowland on December 20, 2009 by
pilobolus

Hi,
Just saw your performance on the Royal Variety Show- absolutely amazing!
Please can you tell me what the music I heard was I caught the lyric If it brings you joy, then
you dont have to explain it (or something like that!)
Many thanks
David
Hi David!
That would be the sweet lyrics of David Poe, a composer that we collaborated with on
SHADOWLAND, an evening-length shadow/dance work that just finished touring in Zurich and
Madrid. He created the entire soundtrack for the work, which, as you have already heard, is
pretty awesome. Unfortunately, the soundtrack isnt available for downloadyet.
And for the other readers out there, in case you didnt hear about it we performed for the
Queen of England! We even have proof!

Renee Jaworski, Pilobolus dancer extraordinaire, next to Miley Cyrus and THE QUEEN OF
ENGLAND!
Thanks for following us! Stay tuned for more info on the SHADOWLAND soundtrack!
Pilobolus
Have you ever had a question that you were dying to ask after a show? Or are you curious what
the dancers eat? Whether your inquiry is important or trivial, commonplace or abnormal, weve
got your answer. Email your question to jhuang@pilobolus.org.
Leave A Comment
Profiles: Jun Kuribayashi

Posted in Dancers, Profiles with tags Art, captain, dancer, Jun, Profiles, Spiegelman on
December 16, 2009 by pilobolus

If youve seen a Pilobolus show recently, you may remember seeing a solo called
Pseudopodia, which features a dancer in a red unitard tumbling and somersaulting all over
the stage like a tumbleweed freshly catapulted from an exploding gas station. Or maybe youve
seen Jun being lifted weightlessly to the sky in the mens quartet Gnomen. Both qualities,
fiery and weightless, are Juns specialties. He nevertheless maintains a grounded attitude in the

studio.

Getting up close and personal with Jun Kuribayashi, Dance Captain

Jun was born in Japan and raised in Lawrence, Kansas. He excelled in athletics during his
adolescence, most notably in swimming, break dancing, and Capoeira. While attending the
University of Kansas, at age of 22, Jun began his classical dance training. In 2004, he received
his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance and toured with Momix before joining Pilobolus
Dance Theater. Jun has been with Pilobolus for the last 5 years and, as of this year, has taken on
the role of Dance Captain. He is married and has an adorable dog and bunny rabbit.

Jun, his wife Casey, and their adorable Asia

Jeffrey: Jun, youre starting your sixth year in the company, and I know youve been to some
really amazing places around the world. Ive been to most of them with you! What was your
favorite destination?
Jun: To narrow it down to one location would be impossible. How about top two places?
Jeffrey: Ok!
Jun: One of them would have to be Tel Aviv, Israel and the surrounding cities we toured. Mostly
because my own perception of the country was waaay off and when I landed there I was

delightfully surprised. My mental image of the country was that of a war torn country with death
and destruction lurking around every corner I was wrong. The land is full of kind, beautiful,
interesting people, and the food! The food was amazing. Hummus? You havent had real
hummus unless youve had it there. It also didnt hurt that the audiences we performed for while
in Israel were so warm and welcoming.
Jeffrey: Mmm! The food in Israel was delicious! And Inbal and Avshalom were right the
cucumbers there DO taste better!
Jun: The second would have to be Auckland, New Zealand. I dont know if we just got lucky
with the people we met there, but the overall warmth of the people there was amazing. We made
some really good friends while we were there. We also had the pleasure of hanging out with
some Maori people and learning about their culture. And if youre into excitementthis is the
city for you. You can do so many crazy adrenaline pumping activities like bungee jumping, sky
diving, tower walking etc. Had the best fish and chips there also. Auckland is definitely one of
the top places Id love to revisit.
Jeffrey: Between all the touring and traveling back to Japan to see family, youre quite the
seasoned traveler. Is there any item that travels with on every tour?
Jun: You can re-wear jeans or shirts if youre desperate, but theres one thing I wont re-wear on
tour: undies. So traveling with clean, comfy undies is a must for me.
Jeffrey: Haha. I can understand that. I remember when one of our previous dance captains
forgot to pack his underwear on tourthere was a lot of handwashing garments in the sink for a
few days. And speaking of dance captains, this is your first year as dance captain! Whats it
like?
Jun: Its a whole new experience being dance captain! My duties require that I be accessible to
everyone 24/7. I have to plan the rehearsals, approve programs, troubleshoot, make sure
everyone is communicating and up-to-dateand thats just the beginning. Its a combination of
performer and administrator and I never imagined it would be this difficult, but I can say this for
certain: I love what Im doing and I plan to stay as long as possible.
Jeffrey: Sounds like youre up for the challenge! And now the company is just beginning a new
collaboration with Art Spiegelman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning comics artist. How is it working in
the studio with him?
Jun: Our first collaboration day with Art was pretty darn amazing. The mans a legend in his
field, yet I was surprised at how down to earth it was. We started out the day with Art educating
us on comic history and then we did what we always do: improvise with each other and test out

movement or theatrical ideas. I think Art was pretty entertained by our process. He ended the
day by saying, Thank you guys, Im just exhausted from watching you guys do what you do!
Theres not too much more I can say about this project without giving away too much, but Ill
definitely send you some videos and pictures so people can see what our process is like.
Jeffrey: Awesome. Im excited to see what you guys come up with!
Bonus Question: What super-power would you like to have and why?
Jun: Being able to stop time would be my choice (so long as Im not aging when time is
stopped!) because time is one thing I feel like I never have enough of. I could stop time when
Im tired before a show and take a nap. I could stop time when we needed more time to teach a
role to a new dancer. (Did I mention that if I was touching them while I stopped time, theyd stay
animated too?) You could do and learn so much at your own pace You know, they say Father
Time is the best teacher. Unfortunately, he kills all his students

Twins
Tune in next week for another profile! Next up: Annika Sheaff!
2 Comments
Art Spiegelman, Comics Mastermind
Posted in Pilobolus News with tags Art, collaboration, Spiegelman on December 9, 2009 by
pilobolus

You may have heard it through the grapevine, or perhaps you saw a leaked photo or two on
Facebook. Yes, its true! Last week we began collaborating on a new piece with Art

Spiegelman, Pulitzer Prize-winning comics artist and author of Maus, In the Shadow of No
Towers, and Breakdowns, and creator of Wacky Packs and Garbage Pail Kids.
Creating a dance theater piece with Art Spiegelman fits into Pilobolus larger project of
collaborating with multi-disciplinary artists. We dont keep artists in their respective disciplines
corner; our approach to collaboration involves all creative people as equals in the studio. So in
this piece, Art is working directly with Pilobolus artistic directors and dancers to invent a supercool, noirish, comics-inspired world.
Heres a little sneak preview of what weve been doing in the studio:
This piece was generously commissioned by the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth
College, and the American Dance Festival, with additional major funding from Annie Hubbard
and Harvey Schwartz, the Litchfield County Friends of Pilobolus, and the National Endowment
for the Arts.
P.S. Check out Arts full page of artwork published last week by San Francisco-based
McSweeneys Quarterly Panorama. McSweeneys also published three of his sketchbooks,
titled Be A Nose.
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Pilobolus Glossary: Shoulder Stand
Posted in Uncategorized with tags Day Two, glossary, Shoulder Stand on December 8, 2009
by pilobolus

Nile and Winston demonstrate the Shoulder Stand from Day Two, until an inopportune volley
of foam darts rains havoc.
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Mailbag #2: That one move where
Posted in Mailbag with tags glossary, Mailbag, mnemonic devices on December 7, 2009 by
pilobolus

Dear Pilobolus,
How do the dancers remember all the moves that they do on stage?
Barbara H.
Dear Barbara,

Some dance forms, ballet and tap for instance, have terms for each move that a dancer does,
like a pli or a toe drop. (Theres a really cool online glossary of ballet terms with video here.)
As you know, in our dance studio we like to reinvent the wheel when we create movement,
and as such we name the new moves as well. We use the names as mnemonic devices to help
ourselves remember the moves, but also to make it easier to communicate to each other about the
movement, especially if were giving notes or corrections.
For instance, it is a lot easier to say, Can you lift your shoulder to hold me in place during the
man-o-war? instead of Can you lift your shoulder to hold me in place during that move where
you and the two other guys run around in a circle and lift me and the two other girls?
Check out our Pilobolus Glossary, where we show and explain moves from our vast repertoire!
Pilobolus

The man-o-war from "Aquatica"

Have you ever had a question that you were dying to ask after a show? Or are you curious what
the dancers eat? Whether your inquiry is important or trivial, commonplace or abnormal, weve
got your answer. Email your question to jhuang@pilobolus.org.
Leave A Comment
Mailbag #1: Letters from the audience
Posted in Mailbag with tags choreographic process, fan mail, inspiration, Lanterna, Magica,
Mailbag on December 6, 2009 by pilobolus

Have you ever had a question that you were dying to ask after a show? Or are you curious what
the dancers eat? Whether your inquiry is important or trivial, commonplace or abnormal, weve

got your answer. Introducing: Mailbag our online fan mail column! If you have a question
that youd like answered, email it to jhuang+mailbag@pilobolus.org.
Since this our first Mailbag post, I thought wed pull a question from our Facebook fan page.
Hello,
I was in the audience for your matinee show in Salt Lake City, I think I was the youngest person
there! I am six. I wanted to ask you about your last piece, Lanterna Magica, I think. I was
wondering how you came up with the story and where it started.
I really loved your show, and I loved the magical one so much. I loved the first piece a lot, you
guys looked like chickens in the yellow costumes! I wanted to dance with you, I like how you
know how to walk in all sorts of ways. I am learning to moon walk this morning!
Thanks!
Gage Wilde
Dear Gage,
Thanks for come to the show were glad you enjoyed it! Walklyndon, the first piece you
saw, is one of the very first Pilobolus works and was originally created on a squash court in
Lyndonville, Vermont. (Thus its name.) The dancers got the idea for the piece by simply
watching people walk around.
Nowadays, on the first day of the creation process in our dance studio, the artistic director that
we are working with will bring in some sort of inspiration as a starting point. It can be anything.
In the past weve used photos from a book, a piece of music, and even a single word. Then, we
start improvising. We dance with each other and by ourselves, we watch each other dance, and
comment on anything that we think is interesting. We never know what were going to come up
with and often times a piece will become something completely different in a matter of days.
There is a funny story about Lanterna Magica we were experimenting with a lot of different
movement and characters in the studio, when Edwin, one of our dancers at the time, came out of
the bathroom with a decorative lantern, one that had been sitting in the bathroom for years! We
ended up improvising and playing around with it so much that it ended up becoming a focal
point for the entire piece! It goes to show that inspiration can be anywhere!
Pilobolus

Lanterna Magica - we got a new lamp btw

1 Comment
Pilobolus Glossary: Big Sit
Posted in Pilobolus Glossary with tags 2, big, day, glossary, queen, sit, two on December 5,
2009 by pilobolus

Andy and Annika have fun demonstrating the Big Sit from Day Two. Sometimes also referred
to as the Queen Sit.
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Meet the blogger
Posted in Dancers, Profiles with tags ADF, Jefrey, P7 on November 28, 2009 by pilobolus

That's me during the creation phase of Darkness & Light - it was "very experimental"
Hello! Jeffrey Huang here, Interactive Media Marketing Manager for Pilobolus. Im the person
in charge of this blog, as well as Pilobolus Facebook and Twitter accounts. I thought I would
take a moment to write a little about myself so you, the reader, know who is posting the blog
posts and answering comments. Dont worry, most of my time from here on out will be spent
bringing you pertinent Pilobolus news and updates. I promise.
I took up my position as Interactive Media Marketing Manager in October of this year (2009)
after leaving the main touring company of Pilobolus, with whom I collaborated, traveled, and
performed with for the last four years. (It was an amazing experience more on that in a sec.)
Im extremely excited to help Pilobolus begin its new venture into social media. I finally get to
use my business degree and it helps me cope with my Pilobolus withdrawal symptoms.
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, when I feel extra lonely, I lean up against a wall or
balance large objects on my head. (Im kidding.)
Im from Seattle, Washington and although I played sports and studied music throughout my
childhood, like many of the men of Pilobolus, I didnt start dancing until college. In 2005, upon
graduating from the University of Washington with degrees in business and dance, I traveled to
Durham, North Carolina to take part in the six-week American Dance Festival. It was at ADF
that I auditioned for Pilobolus and saw my first Pilobolus performance. I remember seeing the
audition notice posted at the Ark building at ADF I had never seen Pilobolus, but I had the
afternoon free and decided to go to the audition on a whim. My background in business taught
me that one should never decline a job interview, and why should auditions be any different? At
the end of the afternoon, I was among a few dancers who were asked to come to the callback
audition in NYC later that summer. I attended the callback audition and shortly thereafter (13

days to be exact) moved to Connecticut to dance with Pilobolus. Little did I know at the time
that day would be the single most influential day of my life to date.
Over the next four years I collaborated in the creation of 7 Pilobolus works, learned nearly 20
pieces of repertory, and performed them in 450+ shows in 11 different countries. Needless to
say, it was an exhilarating experience. But whenever people ask me about my time touring with
Pilobolus, Im always a little short on words I dont know how to articulate or express the high
of taking a bow, exhausted, in front of thousands of people, or the surprise and delight (and
sometimes guilt) of going to some really breathtaking foreign destinations, not having paid a
penny of my own money for airfare. But Im glad that it happened and I will treasure those
memories for the rest of my life. And, oh, the storiesleave me a comment and well chat.
5 Comments
A welcome and a re-introduction to Pilobolus
Posted in Historical with tags Creative Services, history, Institute, Pilobolus on November 27,
2009 by pilobolus

Firstly, welcome to the new Pilobolus blog. As this is a new foray into the blogosphere for us,
we will do our best to keep this corner of the interweb free of dustbunnies and meaningless
dribble (most of the time). Subscribe to our blog via RSS, FeedReader, or watch our Twitter and
Facebook posts for blog updates to stay abreast of what is fresh and new with Pilobolus and our
zany world of collaboration and creativity.
Secondly, depending on where you discovered Pilobolus for the first time, be it through the latest
NFL shadow commercials that you saw on TV or on stage performing repertory over the last few
decades, you might not know the whole story. So, here it is:
Pilobolus began in 1971 at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. A group of students with
conventional liberal arts backgrounds in science, english, philosophy, and sports decided to take
a dance class. In the course of that year they choreographed a short piece titled Pilobolus.
This work drew the attention of a number of helpful dignitaries, including modern dance great
Alwin Nikolais, and soon Pilobolus, the dance, had evolved into Pilobolus, the dance
company. By 1973, Pilobolus had picked up two female dancers and presented its first
performances at the American Dance Festival. (The company has appeared there nearly every
year since.)
An older recording of some early Pilobolus works
Now, nearly 40 years after its conception, the small four-man group has evolved into a
pioneering American arts organization of the 21st century. The company now revolves around
three nuclei of activity: Pilobolus Dance Theater, a radically innovative and globally acclaimed

concert dance company; The Pilobolus Institute, unique educational programming for schools,
colleges, and public arts organizations as well as a series of classes and leadership workshops for
corporate executives, employees, and business schools; and Pilobolus Creative Services, a
division specializing in a wide range of movement services for film, advertising, publishing,
commercial clients, and corporate events.
Pilobolus is based in Washington Depot, Connecticut and performs for stage and television
audiences all over the world. Pilobolus works appear in the repertories of a number of major
dance companies the Joffrey, Feld, Ohio, Arizona, and Aspen/Santa Fe Ballets in the U.S., the
Ballet National de Nancy et de Lorraine and the Ballet du Rhin in France, and Italys Verona
Ballet and since 1999 the company has begun collaborating with multi-disciplinary artists from
outside the company, including the famed writer and illustrator, Maurice Sendak; the Israeli
choreographic team, Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak; the remarkable American puppeteer, Basil
Twist; the lead writer of SpongeBob SquarePants, Steve Banks; and the film composer, David
Poe.
Pilobolus has received a number of prestigious honors, including the Berlin Critics Prize, the
Brandeis Award, the New England Theatre Conference Prize, and a Primetime Emmy Award for
outstanding achievement in cultural programming. In June 2000 Pilobolus received the Samuel
H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement in choreography and in
2004 the company was featured on CBS 60 Minutes. In 2007 Robby Barnett, Michael Tracy
and Jonathan Wolken received the Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Endowment Fellowship from
Dartmouth College.
Pilobolus on 60 Minutes
The physical vocabularies of Pilobolus works are not drawn from traditions of codified dance
movement but are invented emerging from intense periods of improvisation and creative play.
This process has been the source of much interest, in response to which the company inaugurated
the Pilobolus Institute, an educational outreach program using the art of choreography as a model
for creative thinking in any field. The Institute offers sustained programs for both children and
adults around the country, as well as a series of Leadership Workshops for corporations and
business schools. Recent work includes programs at the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania, Dartmouth Colleges Tuck School of Business, and the Babcock School at Wake
Forest University. The Institute also maintains an ongoing residency in the Theater Studies
Program at Yale University.
The third arm of the companys activity is Pilobolus Creative Services, a choreographic and
performance collective providing movement design and production for commercial applications
in business and advertising. PCS has made television spots for Mobil, Ford, Toyota, Opel, and
Hyundai, created live events for IBM, McKinsey, United Technologies, Dupont, and Merck, and

has presented gala performances for Joe Boxer, Marithe Girbaud, MAC Cosmetics and Krizia.
In 2007, the company created and presented 6 acclaimed performances during the 79th Annual
Academy Awards, as well as produced a series of original segments for the Oprah Winfrey
Show and Late Night with Conan OBrien. PCS has also produced two books for national
distribution, Twisted Yoga and The Human Alphabet, and releases an annual calendar of dance
photography in collaboration with a number of noted American photographers. In spring 2009, a
spot that Pilobolus Creative Services created for the NFL Network was nominated for an Emmy
Award in Sports, and the companys website was nominated for a Webby Award in Best
Photography.
Hyundais Santa Fe Advertisement featuring Pilobolus
The 2009 season marks the middle of Pilobolus 39th year. The company has continued to grow,
expanding and refining its unusual collaborative methods to produce a body of over 100
choreographic works, and while it has become a stable and influential force in the world of
dance, Pilobolus remains as protean and surprising as ever.
4 Comments