Pilobolus Dance Theater

In 1971 seniors Moses Pendleton, Jonathan Wolken, and Steve Johnson enrolled in Alison Becker Chase's modern dance class. Chase encouraged the three to combine what they knew about yoga, mime, dance, and music. Building temporary shapes with their interlocking bodies, the trio created an 11-minute dance called "Pilobolus" for a lunchtime performance at the Hopkins Center.

The dance s title from a fungus studied in Professor Thomas Roos's biology class—became the name of one of the nation's most innovative dance troupes. ("Grandfather of the phantasmagoric," the Atlantic Monthly calls the group.)

Five years after the Hop premiere, New York Times critic Clive Barnes called Pilobolus one of the nation's ten best dance companies. Recent television appearances: "Great Performances" and "Sesame Street."