Already in the years of his training, Fontano began to collaborate as a dancer in the great companies of the time: in 1968 he was staged in some performances with Laura Foreman and John Watts at the # nbsp; New School for Social Research. From 1969 to 1971 he was in the company of Paul Sanasardo who took him with him on tour throughout the United States and at the same time (1970) in the company of Larry Richardson. 1971 is the year of the artistic turning point in Fontano's career as a dancer and choreographer who decides to move to Rome where, at the # nbsp; CID # nbsp; (International Dance Center), he meets Elsa Piperno with whom he begins a partnership which led them the following year (1972) to establish the first contemporary dance company in Italy, # nbsp; Teatrodanza Contemporanea di Roma (of which he is artistic director together with Elsa Piperno) and the first Professional Center of Contemporary Dance. The company # nbsp; Contemporary Dance Theater of Romadebutta at the Parioli Theater on 7 June 1972 with a show built with choreographies by Jacqulyn Buglisi, Patrizia Cerroni, Bob Curtis, Elsa Piperno, Marcia Plevin and by Fontano himself. The company quickly became a point of reference for contemporary dance in Italy by organizing a multitude of shows both in Italy and abroad. In 1981, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its foundation, the company was invited to represent its show on the stage of the # nbsp; Teatro dell’Opera # nbsp; in Rome. For the occasion, a retrospective of his choreographic productions was staged. Meanwhile, in 1973 Joseph Fontano participated as a dancer in the # nbsp; Festival dei Due Mondi # nbsp; in Spoleto with a choreography by Jerome Robbins. In the meantime, his artistic and professional growth continues: in 1980 he is on tour in the United States with the company of AsakaWalker while between 1980 and 1981 he is on a world tour with the company # nbsp; Nikolais Dance Theater. In 1981 he was one of the dancers of the # nbsp; Dances Diversion of Angels, a choreography by Martha Graham staged at the # nbsp; Teatro Comunale # nbsp; in Florence. From 1983 to 1990 he collaborated, as a dancer and choreographer, with Carlo Quartucci in the project La Zattera di Babele. For the Paris Opera in 1984, he choreographed # nbsp; Iphigénie en Taurdie by Gluck # nbsp; directed by Liliana Cavani. 1989 is the year of the end of the historic partnership with Elsa Piperno: Joseph Fontano founded in Rome together with Stefano Valentini the company # nbsp; Scenamobile # nbsp; which debuts at the # nbsp; Opera Theater in Ankara, Turkey, on invitation from the Italian embassy with the show # nbsp; Vertigini. From 1991 to 2001 he was guest teacher of the dance school of the # nbsp; Teatro San Carlo # nbsp; of Naples and held courses in contemporary dance and choreography at: Teatro alla Scala # nbsp; of Milan, # nbsp; Centro Studi Choreographers Teatro Carcano, # nbsp; Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, # nbsp; Peri Dance Center, # nbsp; Balletto di Toscana, # nbsp; ASMED, # nbsp; Centro Studi Koros, # nbsp; Compagnia Teatro Nuovo Torino, # nbsp ; Fieldstone School of Performing Arts New York, # nbsp; Scapino Ballet Holland, # nbsp; Laban Center London and Ater Balletto. Since 1993 he has been part of the # nbsp; New Theater Foundation for Dance # nbsp; of Turin as a choreographer and founding member. In 1997 he was elected director of the National Academy of Dance # nbsp; by the teaching staff and the Board of Directors. In 1998, he created the painting # nbsp; Il Paese dei Balocchi # nbsp; within the choreographic work # nbsp; Pinocchio # nbsp; presented at the # nbsp; Teatro San Carlo # nbsp; in Naples and during the theater season of # nbsp; Teatro alla Scala # nbsp; of Milan. In 1999, to celebrate the end of the twentieth century, he is the creator for the National Dance Academy, together with Michael Pergolani and Renato Marengo of the show-show # nbsp; www.900.it # nbsp; show that will be broadcast on Rai3 with the title # nbsp; Will be Famous. Fontano is also the author of the choreography of the special for Rai3 # nbsp; Enzo Gragnaniello, from the Spanish Quarters to the San Carlo Theater. In January 2000 he was invited as a university lecturer at the University Laban Center London # nbsp; (today's Trinity-Laban). Also in 2000 he received the # nbsp; Vignale Danza award. For the 2001/2002 season he is Artistic Director of the Transition Dance Company of the Laban Center London. Since 2007 he has been invited every year by the Cuban government to give conferences and contemporary dance lessons at the Esculea National de Ballet de Cuba, Havana. From this an artistic partnership was born that led to cultural exchanges between Italy and Cuba. Joseph Fontano was the first who in 2007 organized a consultation table on the problems of Italian dance with the main exponents of the choreutic art such as Carla Fracci, Beppe Menegatti, Renato Greco, Francesca La Cava, Gabriella Stazio, Roberto Giovanardi. From this moment on Fontanto always has
