There is something utterly magnetic about Jojo Zolina. An extraordinary freestyle dancer and choreographer, he is greatly respected for his work in the local and international dance community. His fluid, expressive movements capture audiences
from Paris Fashion Week to YouTube. He has even caught the attention of legendary music icon, Madonna. So what is it about Zolina? It must be the “fierce” factor.
Born in the Philippines, he was raised by a single-mother who encouraged creativity and love for the arts. Zolina discovered his passion for dancing at a very young age, amid the hustle and bustle of Manila’s inner city. He moved to Victoria, BC to live with his father at the age of twelve after his mother tragically succumbed to cancer. The transition was difficult but Zolina found solace through dance.
He never imagined he could make a living as a dancer but his natural talent and vibrant, theatrical style led him to rub elbows with Lady Sovereign, Nelly Furtado, K-Os, Swollen Members, Michael Bublé, Mos Def, and Talib Kwali, to name a few. He has enamoured Paris, schooled Amsterdam, left Milan wanting for more, and partied with London. Yet this Vancouverite remains refreshingly humble.
Apart from having an impressive list of commercial, television, and film credits under his belt, he is a sought-after choreographer with a flare for incorporating cheeky humour into his pieces. Zolina is a dance alchemist, boldly melding elements of ethnic folk dance, hip hop, funk styles, vogueing, waacking, house, reggaeton, dancehall, contemporary, and salsa.
Always open to learning more and expanding his knowledge, he studied under and
worked with some of the biggest names in the dance community, from Martha Carter and Jennifer Mascall to hip hop dance pioneers Caleaf Sellers, Poppin’ Pete, and Ken Swift.
In 2002, Zolina co-founded Over the Influence, Vancouver’s hottest hip hop dance crew.They are known for their witty storytelling choreography that challenges traditional hip hop boundaries and stereotypes. They have performed and hosted urban dance workshops across Canada, and represented Canada in the World Hip Hop Championships in Los Angeles, Unrated 3 in Seattle, and the San Francisco Hip Hop DanceFest. www.overtheinfluence.net
In 2006, he founded the ultra sassy vogueing and waacking dance crew, House of La
Douche. The first dance crew of its kind in Vancouver, the House of La Douche pays homage to the gay community’s 1970’s underground vogueing and waacking movement. Zolina formed the group after an inspiring trip to New York, where some of the movement’s originators welcomed him with open arms. Zolina is successfully sparking renewed interest in this movement here in Vancouver—yes, even among young, straight male dancers. Clad in avant-garde, 1980’s-eye-popping fashion, they have performed at Universal Studios, Vancouver Pride, the Vancouver Art Gallery’s FUSE, and International Dance Day.
House Dancing is a group of dance styles primarily danced to house music that have roots in the clubs of Chicago & New York. It includes a variety of techniques that include footwork, jacking, lofting, skating, stomping, and shuffling. House dance takes from many different dance elements such as the Lindy era, African, Latin, Brazilian Capoeira, Salsa, jazz, tap, and even modern. This class will be a great cardio workout and you will sweat! You will learn moves you can take to the clubs!