About Jo

Jo Wise has had a long career as dancer, teacher, choreographer, writer, singer and songwriter. Her memoir, Dancing for the Mafia, gives a fine flavour of her eclectic life, background and career, and will be out soon.

An early career in contemporary dance included work as a dance therapist in four psychiatric hospitals. She then went on to create an outstanding body of work contributing to the world of Middle Eastern and Bellydance. This included performances and shows worldwide, and the creation of popular events including London’s Fantasia Festival, the International Bellydance Congress and the JWAAD Summer School. Her east/west fusion choreography has been commissioned by theatre and opera companies, and can best be seen in theatre shows by her dance company, Johara Dance. A new revival of her third full-length show The Mirror is in the pipeline. She created her dance academy JWAAD in 1990, and since then it has raised the standard and the standing of oriental dance in the UK and abroad.

As a jazz singer, Jo has written many songs, and has sung them in her inimitable warm and mellow tone. Her CD, Be My Devotee is a frank and humorous look at the human condition, with a style inspired by her European roots. It includes some autobiographical songs, and some that simply observe the frailties and frustrations of people trying to live and survive in the modern world.

As a teacher, mentor and Principal of JWAAD, Jo has worked with people all her life, bringing joy and hope to those with mental health problems, a means of expression to students of dance and music, and a sense of community to women of all ages and backgrounds.

Jo has an ongoing interest and training in psychology, the human experience, of making sense of the world and functioning within it. Her long-term knowledge of the expressions of the mind and body, helped also by her training as an Alexander Teacher and in disciplines such as Tai Chi and Somatics, informs all her work. She believes strongly in the power of laughter, and she refuses to take herself, or the world, too seriously. 

Onstage, Jo is a joy to encounter. She no longer dances vigorously due to the development of a disability, hEDS, but she is supremely at home with an audience, will entertain you with tall tales, sing some of them to you if you’re lucky, and always make you smile.

More About Jo

From dancer to singer, from choreographer to songwriter, Jo has worn a variety of creative hats during a forty-year career.

Jo’s Dance

Starting as a stage dancer, she segued to belly dance, travelling the world covered in sequins. Camp? Yes of course! She has performed all over Europe, and also in the USA and Middle East.

Creator of theatrical shows and events, and expert MC, Jo is most at home communicating with her audience, singing and telling tall tales. Her events used to employ hundreds of people, but recently she has just been wrangling a crew of musicians, so life has definitely improved!

 

Jo’s Music

Jo’s songs have attracted attention on the London and Bristol jazz scenes. She has recorded a studio album of original songs called ‘Be My Devotee’ at Fieldgate Studios. Her songs have a European feel and include humorous characters. Styles covered are swing, Latin, chanson and more.

Jo has sung at many jazz and cabaret venues, including The Vortex, Crazy Coqs, Spice Jazz, Great Northern Tavern, Ryan’s Bar with the Gabriel Keen Trio, and the Elixir Bar in London, plus The Canteen, Bristol Fringe and the Old Duke in Bristol. She has also sung around the UK including gigs with the Laurie Morgans Trio at the Lancaster Jazz festival and Wighams Wine Bar in Edinburgh.

Jo has shared a stage with Pete Billington, Gabriel Keen, Bob Stuckey, Andy Hamill, Dudley Phillips and many more. She has also worked with music from many countries and cultures, and is still creating East/West fusion choreography for her dance company. She has choreographed works for theatre and opera companies, and teaches movement, performance and stage presence for singers.