Pilobolus: Trips

Name: Pilobolus: Trips
Start: 2026-06-23T23:30:00.000Z
End: 2026-07-13T04:00:00.000Z
Location: The Joyce Theater, Chelsea, Manhattan

DanceFinal weekendSpectacle

Pilobolus has spent five decades making bodies do things that read as special effects — dancers stacking into towers, morphing into creatures, dissolving into shadow play — and Trips channels that into a cosmic, family-friendly voyage. The Joyce's steep 472-seat house means every seat reads the illusions clearly, and this is the run's final stretch before the company moves on. If you've never seen Pilobolus live, this weekend is the deadline: the shape-shifting only works in person.

What to expect

About an hour and a half of athletic, often funny ensemble dance built on gravity-defying partnering, striking lighting and sci-fi imagery, with gasps and laughs from a mixed-age crowd. It's spectacle-first choreography that lands even if you never watch dance.

Good to know

The Joyce is at Eighth Avenue and 19th Street — take the A/C/E or 1 to 14th St/Eighth Ave
The steep rake means even rear-orchestra seats see the floor patterns clearly
Works well for kids and dance newcomers — it's visual, funny and story-light
Closing-weekend performances sell out; book ahead rather than at the door
Runs about 90 minutes, an easy pairing with dinner in Chelsea

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Common questions

Is Trips good for someone who doesn't watch dance?

Yes — Pilobolus is the gateway drug of modern dance: acrobatic, theatrical and built on visual illusions rather than abstract technique.

Is it appropriate for children?

Generally yes — it's playful, spectacle-driven work, though very young kids may find some sequences long or dark.

What to expect

Good to know

Get Saturday planned every Thursday

Common questions

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