Photos by Emily Denaro
Litchfield County community members and Pilobolus fans from across the Northeast USA gathered for the annual Pilobolus Day celebration on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in the company’s hometown of Washington, CT. The low-cost, family-friendly event offered attendees the chance to experience Pilobolus both on and off the stage, with a live performance, interactive workshops, and activities for all ages.
Inclement weather could not rain out the joy felt across the Devereux | The Glenholme School campus, where this year’s celebration was held. The day began with a variety of indoor activities, including coloring, temporary tattoos, and a special Native American crafts station hosted by the Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS), which included corn husk doll making. As the clouds parted, revelers spilled out onto the grounds to play lawn games and enjoy ice cream and popsicles.
Following the mixing and mingling, attendees transformed into audience members. Dancers performed four fan favorites—Bloodlines, Walklyndon, Flight, and Lamentation Variations—featured in Pilobolus’s new tour, Trips. The performance offered a taste of the athleticism, imagination, and joy that define Pilobolus’s work.
Inspiration was not bound to the stage! Attendees then participated in one of three unique workshops: Alphabet Workshop, crafted for young children and families and led by Artistic Director Matt Kent with help from dancer Ryan Hayes; Connecting with Balance, designed for older adults wishing to improve balance, led by Megan Boyd and featuring dancers Anouk Otsea and Kaylan Sayre; and Pilobolus Dance Workshop, an intergenerational partnering and choreography class for participants 13–113, led by Education Director Emily Kent and featuring dancer Alexis Cruz-Castro.
Proceeds from Pilobolus Day support bringing educational programming to schools across CT. Pilobolus is often the only exposure to the performing and movement arts students receive, making it all the more important that we continue bringing the joy, creativity, and possibility of movement into classrooms across the state.
Pilobolus Day 2026 was sponsored by The James R. Dougherty, Jr. Foundation, CT Community Foundation, Northwest CT Community Foundation, Granola From Another Mother, SEP Orthopedics, Mejias Health and Wellness PLLC, The Owl, Bantam Cinema, & The Woodhall School, as well as our Northwest Corner Gives donors. These supporters helped make Pilobolus Day an accessible, low-cost event and brought this celebration of movement and community to life.