American Dance Festival Tickets

We had seen Pilobolus about 15 years ago and really enjoyed it, however this time it was very, very disappointing. The first act was good, along the lines of what they advertise Pilobolus to be, and the second act was also good - not what I expect to see from Pilobolus, but still dance and interesting. The act / skit where they had someone biking and another person in diapers because it was their birthday was terrible!!!! There was no dance involved - it was just a skit - and I paid to see dance. I also have to say that the skit was at the 6th grade level - nothing more - a bunch of 6th graders could have performed it and save me $71. The remaining act had disappointingly simple dance - again not worth anywhere near the $71 we paid for the ticket, and the type of dance that I could do in the 6th grade, and I never had any training! I paid to see what the advertise Pilobolus to be - interesting athletic dance, and that is NOT what they did. I will not risk that much money again on them!

Very boring. Slow moving. We attended the children's afternoon event. They were crying "mom, can we go home now?"

I am sure that the Paul Taylor Dance Group is technically skilled, etc., but their program left me cold. I've seen and liked modern dance -- from Laura Dean to Pilobolus -- but Paul Taylor just did not excite me. The dancers seemed out of sync much of the time. I liked the second of the three pieces best -- perhaps because it had a "plot" of sorts -- but that was the one that my three colleagues liked least. Go figure. One of the individuals in our party was a former professional dancer, and she liked the performance a good bit, so it may be my ignorance of the medium.

Ballet Preljocaj is my favorite French Ballet Troop. Saturday night's performance of "Empty Moves" was creative and difference from other productions of the company. All three parts were shown in the U.S. for the first time here in NC. It was a continuous two-hour dance for four. No breaks. There was no music. The sound is from the John Cage reading performance of "Empty Words" in Milan in 1977. Cage used the I Ching to select words and phrases from the journals of Henry David Thoreau, and convert the results to phonemes and altered emphasis and timing of the sounds. The result is that the choreography matches the sound phrasing, but there is no meaning assigned to sound nor movement. The choreography is not repetitive, or parallel, or cyclical nor anything else we've all experienced. The Bolshoi babes I watched in June 2013 in Moscow would be totally lost. So, Angelin Preljocaj matches Empty Moves to Empty Words. It all works, but in a Zen way, I suppose. I was most impressed by the four dancers, enduring not only two straight hours on stage with no breaks, but fully in command of a long and complex choreography. Preljocaj's best work, by far, is "Snow White." Second best work is his redo of the "Rite of Spring". This performance is number 3.

How do they keep the level of their creations and performance so high? Since the first time I saw them in 1978, through many changes in company members, Pilobolus has consistently delighted, provoked, and amazed me. This year's performances included several with minimal clothing which concerned 2 of my guests but they got over it. The World Premier featured lifts that made their feats of strength seem effortless.

I bought, I went, I wasted time and money. Not worth the 20 minute trip from Raleigh. A lot of jumping, rolling and music but not acrobatics. No programs to be had...supposedly ran out.

10 years ago I thought I had seen the best modern dance piece possible. This performance was also amazing, and again, Pilobolus.

We go see Pilobolus every year they come to the ADF. They are an amazing team - kind of a mix of Cirque du Soleil with Dance elements. The crew also has a real sense of humor in some of their performances.

My twin girls watched the entire show intently, and enjoyed the trademark Pilobolus multi-dancer shape shifting and other impressive dance entertainment, as did their parents. But, shooting cans of soda and the other bizarre imagery was at least confusing to them, and could have been disturbing to some. Likewise, a number in which the dancers repeatedly announce that their sister is dead could be disturbing to younger children. Finally, a bunch of filler used for audience warmup and cool down could happily be excised from my perspective.

I am a long-time Pilobolus fan and love to see their art. I am continually amazed by the stamina, athleticism, grace and precision they show. This show did not disappoint. They also bring some humor to their performance. The last number was just amazing in the sustained energy level.

In past years Pilobolus performed three productions at the Children's matinee, but this year only two. When it was over my kids said "that was shorter than before", even though the length of time was the same (1 hour). There was too much "educational filler" between the two pieces. Matt Kent tried to be engaging, but there was too much of him. We came to see the dance company, not him. Also, the Pilobolus chant took up too much time. It's frankly not that entertaining. A couple of rounds would be sufficient. We need to see more performance and less explanation.

This is the first time I paid, I went, I wasted money. It was advertised as an acrobatic/dance program. There was a lot of jumping, rolling and running but very little acrobatics. Unfortunately, I took guests from out of town. I will have to do better research next time. I also had to get up three times to find a program. Finally located in the backroom. Wasn't worth the 20 minute drive from Raleigh.

An affordable way to see ADF! I appreciated the way Pilobolus engaged the children (and adults). I look forward to the matinees each year.

Synchronistic, graceful and revealing. Movement in stillness that invites the audience to open and share that which cannot be expressed in words.

We went to the Thursday performance and were not disappointed. The dancers are so amazingly strong and their movements were so precise and apparently effortless. We were in awe. The first number was a newly commissioned piece that showed off the strengths of the troupe, figuratively and literally. The second number was fun and highly entertaining. The third was skillfully performed but a bit long. The 2nd newly commissioned number was comical, fun and again showed the amazing strength of the dancers. The bike was a terrific prop and the dancers used it to perfection. The final number was energetic and enjoyable. Don't miss Pilobolus when they return!

The dancers of "Pilobolus" were phenomenal at their 2014 American Dance Festival performance on Thursday night. Incredible lines, marvelous strength and control, interspersed with amazing splashes of synchronized rhythms, complete with humor and intricate timing. I was immersed in the experience and loved every minute of it. Orchids to the whole team (performers and techs).

Pilobolus has retained its edge over the years, continuing to dazzle with its physicality, enormous energy and high level of artistry. The current ensemble on view in Durham was unified, extremely focused and what is most difficult to put across, spontaneous but obviously well rehearsed. I can't even conceive of the amount of practice, drills, and sheer intensity of effort behind this sort of production. These are not mere dancers, but committed artists in peak condition, committed with every fiber of their body and spirit to expressing their artistic vision.

last year was great what happened? change in dances, with the exception of "colors" was dreadful

Several of the dances were limited in choreography and story stupid. Also, insulting to the elderly. I just swam with a 97 year old women who was in top notch shape. The music was all too "modern" and most of it loud, esp. the last piece. It was definitely a program for the youth in the crowd.

Keeps evolving with modern technology, music, and style.