JO CLANCY

Bio

Jo Clancy is a Mother, a Daughter, a Sister and an Aunty to many.

She is a First Nations Choreographer, Dancer, Teacher and Mentor. A Wiradjuri woman from Western NSW, Jo was raised and still lives on Darug and Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains with her family.

Jo commenced her full-time dance training at NAISDA Dance College in 1990 and then went on to Western Sydney University where she became the first Aboriginal person to gain a BA in
Dance in NSW.

Jo has worked as an Independent Artist nationally and internationally for thirty-five years. She founded her company Wagana Dancers in 2007 and was currently Head of Cultural Practice at NAISDA. She is the recipient of the 2023 Critical Path First Nations Fellowship.

Jo works extensively in Aboriginal communities across Wiradjuri Country. She has connection to Kandos/Rylstone, Condobolin, Lithgow, Mudgee and Bathurst. She has been a Movement Director, Cultural Consultant and Puppeteer with Erth Visual and Physical and incorporates Cultural props and puppets in many of her creations.

Jo’s works include Bangalang for the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival in Glasgow, Sum of our Ancestors for Dance and the Child in Copenhagen, Gaurii for the Commonwealth Games Art and Cultural Festival 2018 and Wirawi Bulbwul for Dance and the Child 2019. Wagana were the Australian representatives at the Honolulu Festival in Hawaii from 2016-2020 and they have an ongoing relationship with the Raven Spirit Dancers from Canada.

Her latest productions and collaborations include birrirra bandhung which premiered at Cementa Festival 2022, Wurimbirra – to take care which toured to Whistler in Canada in 2022, Yindyang Bila for the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre exhibition ‘WATER” in 2022 and Mawambul – all together for the Coastal Dance Festival in Canada 2023.

In 2022/2023 Jo choreographed and performed for a number of corporate events including the Telstra Uluru Statement from the Heart commitment, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Draw in Aukland New Zealand, the ball drop in Sydney and the trophy tour media launch at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.