The Return of Pilobolus

Popular dance theatre returns to ASU July 7

Appalachian State University’s premier summer arts attraction, An Appalachian Summer Festival, welcomes

the return of Pilobolus Dance Theatre to the stage of Farthing Auditorium at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7. This performance is on the SkyBest Mainstage Series.

Based in Washington Depot, Conn., Pilobolus began in 1971 as an outsider dance company, and quickly became renowned the world over for its imaginative and athletic exploration of creative collaboration. Now celebrating its 39th season, Pilobolus has evolved into a pioneering American cultural institution of the 21st century— the company’s works are in high demand, and appear in the repertories of major dance companies.
Pilobolus performs for stage and television audiences all over the world. The company continues to grow, expanding and refining its unusual collaborative methods to produce a body of more than 100 choreographic works, and while it has become a genre unto itself in the world of American dance theater, Pilobolus remains as innovative and influential as ever. 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.

Pilobolus has been featured, with great popularity, on broadcast media: in 2004, CBS’ 60 Minutes; in 2007, the Academy Awards hosted by Ellen Degeneres, and shortly thereafter, The Oprah Winfrey

Show; and most recently on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

Pilobolus Dance Theatre last performed at An Appalachian Summer Festival in 2006, when a sold-out crowd received the company’s performance with thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

In addition to Pilobolus Dance Theatre, the festival hosts a full slate of the finest artistic talent between June 27 and July 25, including the Eastern Festival Orchestra with Sarah Chang, violin (July 12) and Horatio Gutierrez, piano (July 19); Joan Baez (July 23); the Halpert Biennial, a national juried competition and exhibition; Pilobolus Dance Theater (July 7); Melissa Manchester (July 2); Buckwhweat Zydeco (July 11); Paula Poundstone (July 17); the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble Concert Series (July 1, 6, 15 and 20); Triad Stage’s production of Oleanna (July 21 and 22); Mike Cross (July 18); the 23rd Annual Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition; Paul Taylor Dance (July 14) “Dinner and a Show at Westglow” featuring Sophie B. Hawkins (July 5); lectures, workshops and several special events, including a history party, Family Day at the Turchin Center and a spectacular silent auction.

An Appalachian Summer Festival’s success is due in large part to generous support from loyal private donors, as well as a dedicated group of corporate and media sponsors, many of whom have supported the festival for over a decade. Festival sponsors include: Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Westglow Resort and Spa, SkyBest Communications, Inc., McDonald’s of Boone, Mast General Store, Best Western – Blue Ridge Plaza, Allen Wealth Management, Footsloggers Outdoor & Travel Outfitters, Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchants, Chetola Resort, the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center, WBTV, WCYB, Charter Media, The Mountain Times, All About Women magazine, the Winston-Salem Journal, the High Country Press, Mac 100.7FM, Mix 102.3FM, WHKY AM 1290 Talk Radio and WHKY-TVDT, Mountain Television Network, WDAV 89.9FM, WFDD 88.5FM, WETS 89.5FM, WNCW 88.7FM,WASU 90.5FM and WNC magazine.

Advance tickets to the July 7 performance by Pilobolus range from $10-$25. Ticket prices increase at the door on show nights. Tickets for most festival performances range from $5-$30, and most visual arts and educational events are free of charge. The festival offers two flexible ticket passes: the “Pick 5” offers a 15 percent discount off of ticket purchases in multiples of five; the “Festival Pass” offers a 25 percent discount and priority seating for those who purchase a ticket to each performance. For tickets and information, call (800) 841-ARTS or (828) 262-4046 (M-F, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) or visit www.appsummer.org.