Pilobolus

Dance

Biography

Pilobolus – named after a barnyard fungus that propels its spores with extraordinary speed, accuracy, and strength – is a dance company founded by a group of Dartmouth College students in 1971 and is now run by Executive/Co-Artistic Director Renée Jaworski and Artistic Director Matt Kent. Pilobolus creates diverse collaborations that break down barriers between disciplines and challenge the way we think about dance. Physically and intellectually, the company engages and inspires audiences worldwide through performance, education, and consultation and propels itself in various directions to reach its goals.

Pilobolus has performed in over 70 countries. Its repertory grows year after year and includes two evening-length shows, Shadowland and Shadowland: A New Adventure, as well as collaborations with exciting artists, designers, and thinkers like Penn and Teller, MIT Distributed Robotics Laboratory, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, RadioLab, OK Go, Javier DeFrutos, Maurice Sendak, and more.

Pilobolus Makes History with Ground-Breaking Performance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Jan 15, 2018

The Acclaimed Company’s Performance of Shadowland Marks Three Major Firsts in The Kingdom: The First Performance by an International Dance Company in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The First Performance of Any Kind with a Male and Female Cast Performing Together The...

Reviews

“a fleeting glimpse of the inner workings of the universe.”

Alistair Macaulay

The New York Times

“The Ballad shows that co-artistic directors Jaworski and Kent are profoundly committed to making dances that create a conversation about social justice, reckon with our country’s history, and shine a light on the consequences of how we treat Mother Earth.”

Kirstie Spadie

Cultural Voice of North Carolina

“We cannot speak highly enough of Renée and Matt and how they have injected new life and positive energy into a company that is now celebrating 50 years.”

Walter Jaffe and Paul King

White Bird Co-Founders

“Artistic Directors Renée and Matt are powerhouses of creativity and collaboration. Their ability to engage with such diverse projects as magic-escape-artistry and Shakespearean poetry shows how they can bring Pilobolus forward in many worlds…If they are leading the way I am sure Pilobolus will flourish and thrive, artistically and culturally.”

Teller of Penn & Teller