About Us – Joco Dance and Theatre Arts

Nurture, Support and Inspire

Join the Joco Family!

We have a simple ethos at Joco; we combine a friendly, inclusive and welcoming atmosphere with highly accomplished tuition. Over the years we’ve found that this approach has led to countless friendships made, mountains of confidence built and stunning results achieved in exams, shows and auditions. We often hear from students and parents/carers alike that they feel like a part of the “Joco Family”, and that’s something that makes us very proud.

We offer IDTA examinations, with our students consistently achieving outstanding results, and our wonderful Joco Shows where all of our students have a chance to perform on stage in front of friends and family. Also, at the end of every term, family members are invited to “Watching Week” where you will be able to see your Joco-er in action!

Jo Clarke

Jo has immersed herself in the world of performing arts since the age of 4. She attended her first Ballet lesson after her continued whirling around in the living room made her parents fear for the safety of the TV! Dance and Musical Theatre became an integral part of her life, and lead to Jo achieving a scholarship with the prestigious London Studio Centre where she gained a BA (Hons) Degree in Theatre Dance.

After a number of years dancing professionally both here and abroad and having qualified as a dance teacher with the IDTA, Jo decided to open a dance school in her home village of Ashtead to pass on her knowledge and love of dance and performing arts.

A Bit About Joco...

At Joco, we provide expert tuition in Ballet, Tap, Modern Jazz (including contemporary and lyrical styles), Commercial style Street Dance, Musical Theatre, Singing and Drama. We also offer Pre-School Ballet and fun-filled movement classes for toddlers and their grown-ups.

Alongside our regular timetable we offer private lessons, LAMDA classes, audition and self-tape preparation and further education application support. We also have close links with a few trusted performing arts agencies; these have led to Joco students securing roles in West End and International shows with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Ballet and Opera, West End Theatre workshops, London Children's Ballet, feature films, television productions and in a range of other performance settings. Joco students have also gained places at a number of educational institutions such as The Royal Ballet School, Central School of Ballet, Ballet Boost, Academy of Balletic Arts, Elmhurst Ballet School, Guildford School of Acting, Tring Park, The Brit School, Mountview, Bird College and Premiere Scholars.

We are based in Ashtead, Surrey where classes are held at our purpose-built air-conditioned studio in Ashtead Squash and Tennis Club and at The Dell Centre.

Working alongside Jo, our other Joco teachers are hand-picked to be friendly, approachable, inspiring, excellent with all ages and exemplars of our ethos. All have proven backgrounds in performance and instruction and are Enhanced DBS checked.

Our Classes

Ballet
Ballet is a perfect introduction to dance for all ages, and good ballet technique underpins all other dance styles. At Joco we teach excellent technique in fun lessons, using both classical and modern music.
Tap
Tap is a fun and rewarding style to learn. At Joco we draw from both Broadway Tap and Rhythm Tap.
Modern Jazz
A creative and energetic form of dance, combining Ballet technique and modern and progressive styles including high kicks, turns and expressive choreography.
Contemporary
Contemporary dance is a deeply expressive style which combines elements of several others including Ballet, Modern Jazz and Lyrical. Contemporary dance is holistic, combining the body and mind through fluid movement.
Commercial Street Dance
Always popular, this fun and energetic dance style is less formal than others but is just as expressive and enjoyable to learn.
Musical Theatre
At Joco our Musical Theatre classes combine singing, drama and dance in both solo and group work. Great for building confidence, our classes draw from West End and Broadway shows as well as popular music, film and theatre – prepare for show tunes at breakfast!