Pilobolus

Pilobolus has been telling stories with the human form for over 55 years. Through dance theatre performances and educational programming, we show diverse communities and organizations how to create, collaborate, and find joy and well-being through the power of movement. And we do it all from Washington, Connecticut.

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Our movement has never been confined to the stage.

Each year, Pilobolus travels between 10–20k miles, which accounts for
12% of our programmatic operating costs. It’s an essential part of our budget that impacts those we serve both locally and globally.

In the first half of FY 25/26 alone, we have already traveled
10,494 miles, including 7,251 tour miles and
3,243 education miles. Notably,
32% of those miles (1,020 miles) were traveled to serve students
within Litchfield County and the Greater Waterbury area.
These miles encompass our movements from Washington, CT, to domestic tour stops, special events, workshops, and classes.

Our teaching artists bring educational programs to schools, athletic facilities, senior centers, and community organizations. We bring our performers and production materials to theatres, schools, parks, museums, and more for in-school shows, cabarets, special events, and theatrical performances. Expenses include fuel, upkeep of our company van, automobile rentals, freight transport, public transit fares, and airline tickets.

Now, rising costs—including increased airfare and higher prices at the pump—are adding new hurdles to keeping our work in motion. Connecticut gas prices have risen approximately
34% year-over-year ($3.05 to $4.08 per gallon). Airfare costs alone are outpacing last year's spend by 26%. Overall, our domestic travel expenses are significantly outpacing last year's spend by 48%, having already reached 74% of our total FY25 costs by mid-year.

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AT A GLANCE

WHAT ARE WE TRANSPORTING? - Dancers, crew, teaching artists, and directors - Freight, including lighting, props, and costumes

WHAT TRANSPORTATION COSTS DO WE INCUR? - Airfare, including baggage fees - Vehicle rental fees, including truck rental (production freight) and vans/cars (humans!)  - Public transit fare (bus, train, subway) - Alternate livery, such as hired airport shuttles, Ubers, or taxi, as needed - Gas for rental vehicles and the company van - Upkeep for company van

COST INCREASES INCLUDE: - Increased fuel prices - Added baggage fees - Increased rental fees - Fare increases, including NYC public transit, which we rely on for 3 weeks each summer - More van upkeep as the vehicle ages

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HELP KEEP OUR WORK IN MOTION

This Give Local, you can help us raise $25k to cover rising transportation costs and keep Pilobolus moving.

From Litchfield County and the Greater Waterbury area to communities across the country and around the world, transportation expenses directly impact our ability to reach audiences and deliver educational programs—especially here in Connecticut. With your support, Pilobolus can continue to bring communities on a journey through inspiring, transformative experiences, from the stage to the classroom and beyond.

Who We Are

Pilobolus began at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in 1971. Moses Pendleton, an English literature major and cross-country skier; Jonathan Wolken, a philosophy science major and fencer; and Steve Johnson, a pre-med student and pole vaulter were enrolled in a dance composition class taught by Alison Becker Chase. In that class, they created their first dance, which they titled “Pilobolus” —and a legacy of movement and magic was born.

Pilobolus crystallinus is a phototropic (light loving) fungus. Commonly known as “Hat Thrower,” its spores accelerate 0–45 mph in the first millimeter of their flight and adhere to wherever they land. The father of Jonathan Wolken was studying pilobolus in his biology lab when the group first formed. The name was apt, and stuck.

The group then went on to create dozens of dance works with its founding members Robby Barnett, Alison Chase, Martha Clarke, Lee Harris, Moses Pendelton, Michael Tracy, and Jonathan Wolken. In the more than four decades since, Pilobolus has performed on Broadway, at the Oscars, and the Olympic games, and has appeared on television, in movies, in advertisements, and in schools and businesses and created over 120 dance works. The company continues to propel the seeds of expression via human movement to every corner of the world, growing and changing each year while reaching new audiences and exploring new visual and musical planes.