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Despite the dreary weather last Friday night, the University of Kansas' Lied Center was bustling with people anticipating Pilobolus' return to Lawrence. There was a close connection to dance captain Jun Kuribayashi, whose dance education began at KU, as well as Winston Dynamite Brown who grew up dancing in Kansas City.

The program showcased the seven dancers, six of whom are new to the touring ensemble, in six pieces, three per act. Each work set a new tone as the curtain went up and highlighted the dancers' physical and emotional versatility. Overall, the group lived up to the bar Pilobolus has set for itself over the years with its edgy, individual approaches and aesthetics.

The evening opened with Redline, a very athletic and grounded piece reminiscent of a video game with characters marching across stage, gaining speed and changing dimensions as they came into contact with one another. The six dancers moved with purpose and force taking turns tossing each other into the air and mock fighting. The choreography was interactive, allowing for personalization, and it was apparent that the dancers pulled energy from each other. What really kept this piece interesting throughout was the combination of techniques it included - modern dance, karate, gymnastics, swing, break dancing and hip hop.

Gnomen, set to peaceful, nature music, began with four men rolling onto stage in an interconnected ball. They took turns spotlighting each man through a series of manipulating, controlled lifts. The men displayed tremendous strength, often moving in slow motion, holding lifts for what seemed like impossible lengths of time and, of course, executing crazy, unusual movement that prompted awes and gasps from the audience.

The first part of Gnomen was contrastingly serious to the remainder of the piece, which elicited sporadic laughs, including when three men lifted another dancer off the floor with their feet and then rocked him back and forth. According to Wii Fit, the men - who were surprisingly flexible - also must be professional bodybuilders and have perfect balance because without it, they could not have delivered such a spectacular performance. This piece exhibited the strength and control that is the hallmark of Pilobolus and was the most artistic piece of the program. On top of executing each step and sequence they were given, the dancers created shapes, pictures and, essentially, living art.

In great juxtaposition, Walklynden was light-hearted and all about having fun. Building on the premise of walking on and off stage, the jokes focused on what happened as the ensemble crossed each other's paths. There was a mixture of greeting, ignoring, showing off, impressing, arguing and playing. Performed silently, the piece was reminiscent of early Vaudeville, slapstick humor. It was simple, refreshing, and most of all, an audience pleaser.

 The second half began with two unconventional duets. Hitched followed the story of a man and woman through marriage, strife and, in the end, contentment. The shortest work, Dog-ID, highlighted a girl in silhouette who transformed into a dog by the work of a godlike being. Dog-ID played with projection, lighting and special effects, making the girl appear small and the arm controlling the girl huge and omnipotent. The first piece in the act was conflicting and unnecessarily prolonged. The music and dancing did not mesh well and the choreography was indulgent and, at times, uncomfortable to watch.

Unfortunately, the last piece of the night did not fully revive the tiresome tone of the second act. Again, the choice in music was perplexing, ranging from Big Band and jazz to streaming water and random sound effects. The characters in Rushers were odd and intriguing, coming off as people one might see in a psychiatric hospital. Three men portrayed cohorts, clowning around together, while two women spent most of their time and energy reacting to the stooges and moving chairs in the circle. Brown stood out in the background with his long shirt tails, suspenders and a suitcase glued to his side as he shuffled his way from chair to chair in his own little world. This work also seemed lengthy and somewhat disconnected, despite its sweet ending and humorous salute to the Ziegfeld Follies, substituting chairs for girls.

The first half appeared more strenuous for the dancers and definitely was more impressive and entertaining for the audience. Throughout the performance, the dancers demonstrated great versatility and an unbelievable connection to each other. They redefined partnering with two, or more, people acting as one seamlessly and effortlessly. They topped expectations in the first half, which had to be incredibly exhausting. If only the second half could have picked up where it had left off, the show would have been exemplary. Nonetheless, the Lawrence audience was proud of the ensemble's talent and teamwork and probably already is looking forward to the group's next appearance.

REVIEW
Lied Center at University of Kansas
Pilobolus Dance Theatre
Friday, February 5, 2010
Lied Center
1600 Stewart Ave., Lawrence, KS
For tickets to other events call 785-864-2787 or online at www.lied.ku.edu

Top photo by John Kane

By Laura Vernaci

Dance Contributor

Laura Vernaci is a Kansas City native who has always been passionate about the arts, particularly dance. She began dance lessons at the young age of five and hasn't stopped since. She trained at the Kansas City Ballet where she became a serious dancer and learned about a professional company. 

She attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she majored in dance. She transferred to Truman State University in Kirksville, MO in 2006 and received a degree in Journalism in May 2008.  Laura spent the 2008-2009 in Duluth, MN dancing professionally for the Minnesota Ballet. She performed in productions such as, "The Nutcracker," "Cinderella" and "Coppelia" as well as world premier ballets created on the company.

She recently moved back to Kansas City and is excited to combine her experience in writing with her passion for dance. In addition to performing and writing, Laura also enjoys teaching dance and choreographing.