GO-GO DANCING
Meet Jo
Jo Kiddo’s confidence beams directly through her smile as the topic of go-go dancing is brought into conversation. Her crimson hair matches her bright lips, a stark contrast to her azure-blue eyes. Whistler DJ duo Skiitour starts to play in the background, and Kiddo starts moving around on stage and feeling the music. Then the beat drops, and she unleashes a series of go-go dancing steps, all by improvisation.
Although Jo Kiddo has only been go-go dancing for two years, her involvement in the electronic music scene has been much longer.
Originally from England, Kiddo moved to Calgary when she was 11-years-old, and by the time she was 15 she had already been to popular electronic music festivals such as Shambhala. But it wasn’t until she experienced Motion Notion music festival that she took an interest in go-go dancing.
“I remember I was watching the go-go dancers, and I was just sort of looking up at them and like ‘I want to do that one day,’” Kiddo says.
Go-go dancing has been around since the 1960’s, but now has become an integral part of the electronic music scene. Go-go dancers like Kiddo are meant to pump up the crowd, spiking adrenaline and excitement in people. The freedom of expression and individuality that go-go dancing promotes is why it fits so well in the EDM scene.
She applied to La Gogue dance crew when she was 18-years-old, but was initially turned down. La Gogue, based out of Calgary, is a group of “qualified, beautiful, outgoing and professional” visual performers ranging from go-go dancers to hula hoopers. It wasn’t until a few years after she applied that the owner of La Gogue approached her and encouraged her to submit another audition video. She was accepted to the group, and her go-go career launched from there.
Now 23-years-old, she has become a recognizable face within the electronic music community. Kiddo currently dances with Rogue Dance, a cross Canada dance company that is heavily involved with bass and electronic shows. Rogue Dance has been a part of major events, performing for major electronic artists like Datsik, Brillz, and Skrillex. This company has opened the doors into the EDM scene for Kiddo and many dancers alike.
“I would say that it’s probably one of the best collections of dancers that you’ll find in Western Canada right now,” Kiddo says. “I’m extremely proud to be on the team when I have the kind of talent around me…a lot of the girls are really impressive with what they do.”
Kiddo has also had the opportunity to dance at popular festivals like Astral Harvest, Motion Notion and Shambhala. These are some of the biggest and most well known festivals in Alberta and British Columbia.
In addition to being part of the Rogue Dance crew, Kiddo also dances with Evogirls, a group of dancers that perform at Murmur Nightclub in Calgary. Kiddo says that Murmur is very supportive towards go-go dancers, which is very important because it can be hard to make a living or have consistent work in this style of dance.
The EDM community in Calgary has been bringing the culture to our city for years, as it experiences a burst in popularity worldwide. Jo shares some of her thoughts on being a part of it.
“I don’t think I know of a single go-go dancer that just does dancing,” Kiddo explains. “Even the most successful ones generally will have side jobs that they’ll have to do to make ends meet.”
Kiddo is also a full-time student currently enrolled in her first year of the Broadcasting program at Mount Royal University.
Making ends meet is just one of the challenges Kiddo and other go-go dancers face. In addition, she says there aren’t a lot of promoters that actively seek out go-go dancers, and the designs of some venues aren’t
Gigs in Go-Go
Challenges
Jo Kiddo attends Astral Harvest Music Festival in 2015, an experience she enjoys both as a guest and a performer.
Photo courtesy of Third Eye Arts
Jo Kiddo dances regularly at Murmur Evolv'd nightclub in Calgary.
Photo by Murmur Calgary.
fit for dancers. Being part of a group like Rogue Dance helps performers get work and stay actively involved in the EDM scene.
Another difficult aspect of go-go dancing is how some people perceive it, and the judgment that follows.
“I think that the biggest negative or the biggest challenge of my job is dealing with the social aspects of it,” Kiddo says. “Sometimes people will see what I post on Facebook, which are dancing photos, and someone will be like, ‘Oh you’re a stripper.’”
In addition, Kiddo says that people will mock the dancers and that can be really distracting and disheartening.
“It’s something that you either let stick on your back or you let it slide off, so you have to make that decision and you have to have a back bone when you’re doing this kind of stuff because there’s always going to be someone in the crowd that isn’t a fan, you know? You can’t please everybody all the time.”
Jo shares her strategy for letting the judgments she receives from some people as a go-go dancer slide off her shoulders.
More Than Just a Dance
Even though this is a constant challenge, Kiddo believes this has given her confidence not just for dancing, but also in everyday life.
“I think that it’s actually made a positive impact in my regular life, that I can walk into a class of new people, or a group of new people and just sort of introduce myself and not really care what they think or what they say because I’m just here to do what I need to do,” Kiddo says.
That attitude is apparent when Kiddo is on stage. Her performances are full of confidence, fun, and not caring what people think. Go-go dancing is meant to pump up the crowd and generate a sense of energy in the venue.
“I would say that dancing empowers me because the difference for me…between empowerment and objectification is what you yourself believe,” Kiddo says.
