I've been waiting since September 2005 to see the Pilobolus Dance Troupe at the Marin Center in San Rafael, CA. Finally, Saturday, January 28th arrived. I found out about the troupe while reading the So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) message board at Television Without Pity. By the way, the show is casting now for the second season if you think you can dance and want to try out.
Pilobolus (crystallinus) is a phototropic zygomycete - a sun-loving fungus that grows in barnyards and pastures. It grows on a stalk as a small bladder, pressurized by cell sap and topped with a tiny black cap filled with spores. When time and Pilobolus are ripe, this entire sporangium is blasted off with incredible force and the little spore bags can shoot over a cow like clowns out of a cannon. It's reported that the acceleration - from 0-45 mph in the first mm of flight - is the second fastest in nature.
If I had to describe them, the words Movement, Weight, Strength, Balances and Yoga come to mind. Even though you'll see some cool images on the web, during the actual show, unbelievably the dancers do more. The only time I noticed a miss step was during the last routine when all the dancers, men and women, only had on G-Strings. I suppose they were kind of slippery by then. Hard to get a good grip.
If you ever get a chance to see Pilobolus, take it. You'll be glad you did.
I can't wait until I can see them again.
