Pilobolus, BLOOM: A Journey, Bridgewater, CT, USA

Pilobolus, BLOOM: A Journey
The Ferryman

After experiencing an enthralling performance by Pilobolus at the Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University in 2018, we knew to expect the unexpected, however that did little to prepare us for BLOOM: A Journey. On Saturday, July 24, 2021, we drove to Litchfield County to Sunny Meadows Farm located in Bridgewater, Connecticut, and as we had arrived early, we had time before our "safari" to enjoy the ambience and the breathtaking vistas of the farm and purchase some vegetables at their farm stand.

Sunny Meadows Farm

At our appointed time, we lined our car up with a small group of cars and were ready to begin our "car safari." We were told that over the duration of our safari, we would experience 4 dance presentations and music compositions especially created for BLOOM: A Journey created by Pilobolus and in collaboration with Stuart Bogie, Kat Edmonson, and Rob Kapilow, located in separate locations throughout the gorgeous Sunny Meadows Farm.

Pilobolus, BLOOM: A Journey
The Ferryman

Pilobolus, BLOOM: A Joureny
The Rugged Countryside

We continued by car safari to the second presentation, The Rugged Countryside, a fantasy of dance and music, which took place in the woods. For this presentation, the soundscape was conceived by Stuart Bogie, and performed by Stuart Bogie, Paris Cullen, Victoria DeRenzo, Quincy Ellis, and Ariana Nakamine, with musicians: Ron Castonguay: alto sax, Matthew Comfort and Darryl Gregory: trombone, Sam Hopkins: saxophone, and Evan K and Dylan Olimpi McDonnell: alto sax. This exciting dance and music performance had the added benefit of audience interaction with select members of the audience (including Debra) playing chimes in conjunction with instruction from the dancers.

Pilobolus, BLOOM: A Joureny
Far and Wee

The third presentation, Far and Wee, took place in a sunny meadow studded with fruit trees. This large-scale presentation featured [in Just-] by E.E. Cummings; composed and conducted by Rob Kapilow, with pianists Jonathan Babbitt and Raymond Buttero; Whither must I Wander by Ralph Vaughn Williams, and Lyrics from Songs of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson arranged and conducted by Jonathan Babbitt. Other music included I thank you God for this amazing by E.E. Cummings composed by Rob Kapilow, soundscape by Kelvin Young, with alternating soloists: Emily Boone Easter, Allison Messier, and Patricia Niver, Litchfield County Choral Union: Martha Babbitt, Ted Babbitt, Emily Boone Easter, Claudia Buick, Rich Browner, Raymond Buttero, Janet Corette, Caroline Duers, Jeffrey Easter, Felix Graham-Jones, Susan Hooker, John Manning, Ingrid Manning, Sarah Marze, Allison Messier, Patricia Niver, Harold Niver, Matthew Poltorak, and Ernie Sinclair, and Music Director Jonathan F. Babbitt.

Pilobolus Community Dance Project dancers: Stella Blyn, Barbara Cover, Connor Dealy, Lilly Katz, Sarah Mitchell, Kelly Munn, Olivia Pouder, and Vivien Vass, with musicians: Harris Bernstein on viola and Florrie Marshall on violin.

Pilobolus, BLOOM: A Journey
The Legend of the Wendigo

We drove to a clearing in the woods for the last performance, The Legend of the Wendigo, which featured storytelling by Darlene Kascak with the support of the Institute of American Indian Studies, sound design by Ben Sollee, and performed by Eryn Barnes, Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Marlon Feliz, Hannah Klinkman, and Paul Liu. This was another well-conceived presentation which combined a message with an exciting dance performance.

Pilobolus, BLOOM: A Journey
The Legend of the Wendigo

Once again, Pilobolus had delivered exciting performances of contemporary dance that pushed levels of physicality to new limits. Bravo! We cannot wait to experience their next production.

About Pilobolus

"Pilobolus is an internationally renowned dance company. For 50 years, we have tested the limits of human physicality, exploring the power of connected bodies. We perform internationally for 300,000+ people each year – and create custom performances, digital content, movement experiments, and live events. You’ve seen us at the Oscars, the VMAs, and the Olympics, and we’ve collaborated with OK Go, the NFL, Hyundai, RadioLab, Penn & Teller, and more. Honors include a TED Fellowship, a Grammy® Nomination, a Primetime Emmy® Award, and several Cannes Lion Awards."

For information about Pilobolus or their upcoming programs, workshops, or classes, please visit their website: www.Pilobolus.org.

Pilobolus
P.O. Box 388
6 Calhoun Street

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