Pilobolus, As the first theatrical event of its kind to tour the globe, Shadowland incorporates multiple moving screens of different sizes and shapes to create an evening-length performance that merges projected images and front-of-screen choreography.

The story is a surreal experience of a young girl’s sensational world as she comes of age. Created in collaboration with lead writer for the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants Steven Banks, Shadowland is a universal and intimately portrayed experience that is both intensely dramatic and comedic.

It is set to a rhythmic original score by the popular American musician, producer, and film composer David Poe, whose poetic work for Shadowland ranges from ballads to hard-driving rock numbers that lift the audience out of its seats. His much-loved songs illuminate the themes and visuals of this fascinating story and world.

Origin:

Shadowland was conceived and created by Pilobolus after several years of experimentation of the short shadow form. The result is a mixture of Pilobolus’ signature style and innovative new forays into new media. Indeed, from an artistic standpoint, the new work incorporates Pilobolus’ legendary approach to modern dance combined with high-energy, fast-paced, multi-media innovation.

Known for its collaborative choreographic process and a unique weight-sharing approach to partnering and sculptural creations, the company discovered this new medium for playing with lightness and dark when it developed advertisements for Hyundai and then performed at the 79th Annual Academy Awards in 2007, creating iconic images of the films nominated for Best Picture.

The story of Shadowland,

Night. A small house on a small street. A teenage girl prepares for bed. She longs for independence, but to her parents she is still a little girl. With nowhere for her thoughts to go but into her dreams, she falls asleep only to wake to something lurking behind her bedroom wall — her shadow.

The wall of her room suddenly starts to spin, trapping her on the other side. Unable to escape, the girl sets off on a journey of discovery, going deeper and deeper into Shadowland, looking for a way out. Strange creatures appear along the way — at once comic and evil, threatening and seductive — crazy chefs try to cook her in a soup, hunch-hand monsters threaten to crush her, a giant hand turns her into a dog, and a centaur finds a way into our dog-girl’s heart.

With the fluid logic of a dream, the grace of an acrobatic dance, the humor of the best cartoon, and the heart of a love story, Shadowland celebrates the strange transformative power of the dark to show us who we are in unexpected and thrilling ways."

Until 4 March.
Venue: Budapest Congress Center

Source: Showtimebudapest.hu