Noism is a veritable supernova in the rapidly expanding universe of Japanese contemporary dance. It burst on the scene in 2004 as the residential company of the Niigata Ryutopia Theater, two years after its founder, 30-year-old Jo Kanamori, returned from Europe.
Kanamori studied classical and modern ballet and improvisation for two years from age 17 in Lausanne, Switzerland, under the revered Maurice Bejart. He then joined the Netherlands Dance Theatre where, under the masterful and magnificent Jiri Kylian, he blossomed both as a dancer and an innovative choreographer.
Fortunately for Kanamori, the contemporary dance scene in Japan evolved a great deal during his absence. Thanks in part to a constant flow of tours by foreign troupes -- as well as a surge in popularity of hip-hop and street dance -- it has grown into a hugely popular art form attracting an ever wider audience to ever more major venues.