Pilobolus to Perform Penn & Teller Piece in Omaha, 4/23

Omaha Performing Arts presents the Pilobolus Dance Theatre in the Slosburg Hall at the Orpheum Theater Thursday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20, and are available at TicketOmaha.com, 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha Office inside the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St.

Pilobolus is a modern dance company known for its mystifying contortion and exaggerated interaction between human bodies. By combining the strength and agility of shape shifting, as well as various explorations of human movement, they have created their own unique style of showing the human body.

One of the highlights of the evening will be "[esc]," the result of a collaboration with masters of trickery, Penn & Teller. "[esc]" is the ultimate piece of gripping, do-not-try-this-at-home choreography featuring Houdini-inspired escapism. According to Teller, "We've never encountered a group of people so game to try anything, and so physically formidable and beautiful that they can do impossible stuff and make it look like art." The performance will contain other repertory pieces such as "Day Two" and "Automation." Please note: The program contains partial nudity.

Pilobolus was founded in 1971, by a group of Dartmouth College students, whose aim was to break down barriers within the discipline and challenge the way dance is thought about. The dance company has created over 115 pieces of repertory along with providing the community with dance education and consultations through master classes, workshops and creative collaborations for advertising, music videos etc.

Based in Washington Depot, Conn., Pilobolus has performed in more than 64 countries and has been featured on popular programs such as Sesame Street, Oprah, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, 60 Minutes and the Academy Awards in 2007. Pilobolus has also won numerous awards including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Programming, the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement in Choreography and in 2012, was nominated for a Grammy Award for OK Go's "All Is Not Lost" music video.

Pilobolus Dance Theatre will perform at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St., on Thursday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20, and are available at TicketOmaha.com, 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha Office inside the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St. The performance is sponsored by the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. The Hospitality Sponsor is Hotel Deco XV.

Omaha Performing Arts is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to enriching the lives of the citizens of Omaha and surrounding communities. In its two venues: the Orpheum Theater and Holland Performing Arts Center, the organization presents the best of Broadway, jazz, blues, dance, comedy, family and popular entertainment. Omaha Performing Arts also offers a range of educational programs and free community events that support, enhance and expand appreciation for the arts. In addition, the organization provides comprehensive ticketing services through Ticket Omaha, the official ticket retailer for the Orpheum and Holland.

Omaha Performing Arts' performances are supported in part by the Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Omaha and the Douglas County Visitor Improvement Fund, as well as corporate sponsors, private donors and foundations. For more information, visit OmahaPerformingArts.org.