Pilobolus Plays With Every Body

It’s not often that the movement style of the audience and the dance company have so much in common, but when you have children and Pilobolus Dance Theatretogether--as they were Wednesday night at Orange County Performing Arts Center, as part of the Imagination Celebration--something looks familiar. Scampering, perhaps. And all that climbing all over each other.

Of course, Pilobolus’ playfulness is highly skilled--adults like that part, when bodies look like Claymation, for instance, and intersect each other in odd ways, as in “Pyramid of the Moon” (1995). Or when Rebecca Anderson becomes a slinky toy in “Pseudopodia” (1974), a solo by Jonathan Wolken, made mostly of seamless forward and backward rolls.

What the kids like are the gags, so popular pieces for them were “The Particle Zoo” (1990), an agonistic romp in which an outsider gets unceremoniously dumped in more than one clever way; and “Walkyndon” (1971), a parade of joggers who encounter the cute and unexpected--a bite in the hip, a slap, someone’s pants falling down (for the under-10 set, this last was as good as Pavarotti hitting a high note).

Most pieces were collaboratively choreographed, often with the dancers, all of whom have the steely strength, elegant control and “natural look” required. It’s a particular kind of audience--a big one--that marvels at the endlessly evolving shapes, often at the speed of a Lava lamp, and all that athletically varied hefting, which so often reduces the company males to forklift status.

Gymnastic whimsy may have its visually interesting moments, but it clashes with high drama. “Sweet Purgatory” (1991) is proof, with its over-plotted lighting, wisps of smoke and overwrought taped music by Rudolf Barshai. Someone could be heard telling a kid that purgatory meant hell. The confusion was understandable.