Dancing in Hard Times

Dancing in Hard Times

For more than 50 years, the Connecticut-based modern dance company Pilobolus has entertained audiences all over the globe, from in-person performances at many of the world’s leading entertainment venues to celebrated television appearances on The Academy Awards and The Oprah Winfrey Show. 

In addition, Pilobolus has collaborated with a host of legendary artists throughout the years, including Art Spiegelman, Maurice Sendak and Penn & Teller. The company is also renowned for its educational programs, including Pilobolus at Play and Chance to Dance.

Featured on the cover of Connecticut Voice in Autumn 2021, the company was at the time charting new directions, embracing more diversity and LGBTQ+ themes. That vision—and the company’s expanded new works building on an established repertoire—have come under fire recently. Since its founding, the company has been known for the artful ways it uses the bodies of its dancers—many of whom sometimes appear partially clothed. Conservatives objected—both to the dancers’ “sexuality” and also the company’s commitment to racial and sexual diversity.

Derion Loman, a long-time dancer and choreographer who is Pilobolus’ associate artistic director, recently spoke to Connecticut Voice about the many challenges—sociopolitical as well as economic—currently facing the company, as well as what continues to make Pilobolus so special.

CV: You’ve been with Pilobolus since 2014. What do you feel has led to the lasting success of Pilobolus?

DL: We are celebrated for pushing the envelope, but our vulnerability comes from showing these amazing bodies on stage, not in a sexualized way but as examples of the human form in peak physical condition. In many ways, watching Pilobolus is like watching sports. And like with sports, our audiences come to see incredibly human moments take shape in front of them.

CV: Yet, there is now some backlash about how the company displays these bodies. Can you elaborate?

DL: More and more, presenters are worrying about their audiences accepting our bodies. Venues are asking us to cover up [dancers’] bodies more often. They sometimes ask for men not to be shirtless, which makes me wonder what these people do when their kids go to the beach? It also makes me call into question why they can look at the naked statue of David or a portrait of a nude woman in an art museum but not us as dancers. Personally, I don’t understand the context of these requests, but we do our best to honor them while keeping the authenticity of our work. It’s frustrating.

CV: Can you give me a specific example of how that happens?

DL: We were recently commissioned by the Martha Graham Company to do a new version of Lamentations. To make some venues happy, we’re using see-through costumes, yet the entire body is covered. We’re following the rules we’ve been given but still doing our thing. 

CV: Let’s talk about the company’s commitment to all forms of diversity. That has not changed, right?

DL: Embracing diversity is hugely important for our company. Our dancers have a wide variety of skin tones, different sexual orientations, even different-shaped bodies. Having this diversity helps the company tell stories that identify with more people. Pilobolus is a completely collaborative company, with a lot of input from the dancers in the creation of every piece. Ultimately, we all like to see our own story told on stage, but while you may think you’re making a piece about your life, you will soon find that everyone in the room is responding. 

CV: Are you finding this to be a financially challenging time to raise funds for the company?

DL: I do think people who support the arts are coming out to help us, especially after the Trump Administration cut grants from the NEA. People know companies like ours need to be saved. We had our annual gala fundraiser in Connecticut in early June, and it was one of our most successful ever. We are also putting ourselves out there in different ways, like performing at a recent activation event at Farm One in Brooklyn. Honestly, I wish the entire world would have to live through a day without art—no TV, no music, no live performances. I think that would be a hard pill for people to swallow. 

For more information about the company and performance events, go to Pilobolus.org

—Brian Scott Lipton