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It is named for a sun-loving fungus that thrives in cow dung and which blasts its ripe spores around the farmyard with incredible vigour - "like clowns out of a cannon". And it began as a wild dance experiment among a group of non-dancing students back in 1971, who were probably more interested in an easy paper or two in their university degrees than a serious dance career.
But 36 years on, Pilobolus Dance Theatre is hailed internationally as one of the world's most popular modern-dance troupes, famous for its wit and sensuality and for its unique high-octane style.
Its rule-breaking combination of dance moves and acrobatics, in which bodies transform into a universe of wondrous shapes both individually but usually ensemble, has brought the company artistic and commercial sucess. It has won awards, including the Berlin Critics' Prize and a Primetime Emmy, and performed to acclaim at last year's Academy Awards. The group also features in an intriguing Volkswagen advertising campaign. Jan Kuribayashi is typical of the atypical dancers that thrive in Pilobolus' seven-dancer strong touring company - members of which have called themselves "the dance company for those who don't like dance - and for those who do".
"My background was in martial arts - karate, tai chi and capoeira - and I did soccer, track, some gymnastics and a lot of competitive swimming," Kuribayashi says. "I took my first dance class ever, aged 22."
That came after a dance student who watched him breakdancing in a club suggested he do a demo for her world dance class at the University of Kansas. The demo resulted in the head of the dance department suggesting Kuribayashi join the programme. "I didn't take too much convincing," he says. "My body had always craved to move." And from his very first moments at the barre his relationship with dance was an instant love affair. "I fell for the challenge, the creativity - the holding of impossible positions, for ever."
Three years on and with the encouragement of his teachers, Kuribayashi found himself auditioning for Pilobolus. After five gruelling New York days, in which he worked with the company on the early creation of a new piece, he was offered a place - and then had it withdrawn when the injured dancer he was to replace unexpectedly returned, and experience won over the raw talent. Pilobolus offered him part-time opportunities, but Kuribayashi was looking for more, and successfully auditioned instead for a place in Momix, an offshoot of Pilobolus.
The two companies are "like cousins", he says. But where Pilobolus' strength lies in the creative hotbed of collaboration and dancers who probably do not come from classical, ballet training, Momix dancers all bring classical technique to the company's work, with a more visual and exacting approach.
"In Momix we spent hours practising in front of mirrors," says Kuribayashi. "We never use mirrors in Pilobolus. It's far more about dancers creating original movements with their moving bodies, or making previous moves more complicated - or more simple. It's not so much about pointing toes and holding lines."
His career in Momix was cut short in Sydney, just before the company's first visit to New Zealand in 2004, when he broke his foot and was sent home. Two months later he was auditioning again and got a call from Pilobolus, where another dancer had been injured. It just happened that the company was performing Aquaticus that night, the piece Kuribayasha had been involved with during his initial audition period.
"I had two hours to pack up and fly to Los Angeles and four hours in rehearsal before performing. Crazy."
A week later he also performed in the premiere of Pilobolus' 71-minute Megawat after just one-
and-a-half days of rehearsal. "After that they decided I should just stay on. And that's how I got back into Pilobolus. It's hard work. We do 150 shows a year and it is strong, athletic dance. It can take its toll. Some people have had enough after a year. The average dancer life in the company is about two or three years. Two years ago we decided to add a fifth male dancer - until then it had always been four men and two women. So that spreads the load a little bit more.
"You have to have the athleticism, good balance and be articulate and mature enough to contribute to the creative process: it is very much a collaborative process. But that is the genius of the system. You have to work hard - but then the work becomes your baby."
* Pilobolus Dance Theatre Where and when: Aotea Centre, Apr 30-May 3
