Aureate - The Pilot Dance Project

Definitions of “aureate” include denoting the color gold or highly ornamentated, both of which are perfect descriptors of this compelling dance performance. Inspired by mythology and the multiple tragic events of the late 2010s and early 2020s, The Pilot Dance Project’s “Aureate” finds solace within nature and a silver lining through its destruction. The explorations evolve from the nature of the human body, humanity’s connection with nature, nature’s destruction through technology, then inevitably finding solace between the three extremes. These concepts are shown through the meticulous choreography of Adam Castan͂eda and Ashley Horn, and the vibrant personalities of the dancers. The choreography works through a recurring motif of breath. In nature there is life and in life there is breath; the attention to the breath within the choreography is what underscores “Aureate”’s connection to nature.

Dancers Eva Jin, Jarett Martin, Hannah Dunning, Courtney Sherman-Allen, Stormie Holmes, and Castan͂eda. are first-rate. One moment it's “wow! the person in the middle did a sweet double tor;” and then the next moment turns terror-filled as the dancers trudge through the industrial kaleidoscope of the city. The portraits the dancers create are amplified by the minimalistic costume pieces, such as woodland headpieces for the mythological dance pieces or the bronze/golden dresses made out of pipes. The icing on the sophisticated cake of “Aureate” is the varied music palette. From ambient music, field recordings, IDM, industrial, to even a hint of musique concrete, each piece is accompanied by the perfect sonic soundscape. “Aureate” is one of the most emotionally impactful performances to come out of the 2022 KC Fringe Festival and its silvery-gold lining running through tragedy will leave audiences hopeful.