“Jo Fong is something of a legend on the UK contemporary dance scene. She's worked with everyone, from Rosas to DV8 to Rambert, and has a reputation as a charismatic performer and a relentlessly inquiring choreographer.” Luke Jennings ,The Observer
Jo Fong is a director, choreographer and performer working in dance, film, opera, theatre and the visual arts.
Jo has toured her work throughout the UK and International festivals, her celebrated An Invitation… was selected for both British Council Edinburgh Showcase and British Dance Edition. She recently presented at Hull’s Year of Culture and Xintiandi Festival Shanghai these performances are part of a series of works and ongoing research called Ways to Be Together.
Jo is based in Cardiff, although she has a Manchester connection, presenting and performing at the Royal Exchange Theatre and over the last 8 years she has been collaborating with Quarantine Theatre, most recently on their epic performance, Wallflower.
Jo is a Peilot Associate Artist with Chapter Arts Centre and Research Associate with SE Dance and her work has been supported by Arts Council Wales, Creative Scotland, Fieldwork, British Council, EU Culture, Arts Council England, Sherman Theatre, Dance House (Cardiff), Rubicon Dance and Coreo Cymru.
Twitter: @jofong
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joanne.fong.79
Jo will be with Manchester Choreolab 2017 on Thu July 27 to lead a day long workshop and will be a Dinner & Discourse Provocateur that evening.
Watch some of Jo's work here: https://vimeo.com/joannefong
MORE ABOUT WHAT IS UNDERNEATH JO'S OPEN STUIDIO WORKSHOP
Jo has been working on Ways of Being Together which is a series of workshops, discussions and performances centred around the idea of Belonging - A Sense of Belonging. Jo will lead a warm-up/class followed by pair work, group work and games that she has been developing as part of the creative process for her new work for Cardiff Dance Festival, Nov 2017. Jo’s working practice is an evolving, interactive and playful approach, incorporating aspects of release, yoga, manipulation, contact and voice techniques.
The studio time has been part of a larger conversation about community, participation, inclusivity and rather than sustaining something, a body, a practice, a career... thinking about what it is to thrive both individually and as a community. Embedded in the all the gatherings have been the notion of Belonging. A sense of belonging is intimate and powerful, connected, optimitstic, unknown and curious making.
At this time it seems essential to work on our Ways of Being Together.
We will walk, we will talk, we will listen, breath, see, observe… Dance has a special place in this face to face, touch, respond – hearing ourselves, each other, being seen, the value of our bodies, movement, presence, proximity, growing a physical sensitivity and our own physical power.
A great deal of the project is about meeting people well. As a language I have been working on a self generating score, simple instructions / games that play out, encouraging awareness, listening, range, presence and also simple acts like noticing.
The performance and research projects that are in development are focused on creating experiences for both participant and audience member. The project acts as a pathway to celebrate a resilient arts community that potentially inspires and takes action.
Jo is interested in spontaneity, arriving with ourselves and authentic encounters. The interaction is live and people adapt, make room, save, lead, follow, get out of the way, care, grow an energy, grow an awareness, whether that be spacial, a shared joke or about the knowledge of what each human carries with them.
The series of works explores ideas around making a real human connection its about an appreciation of the people around us.
“At the heart of the work are the people - their skills, instincts, their aptitude for excellence, collaboration, sharing and together creating a dialogue that embraces creativity, integrity and learning.” Jo Fong