Two excellent dance concerts: Ririe-Woodbury’s Fill in the Blank; Repertory Dance Theatre’s Emerge: Sounds Delightful
“Blake sets movement that elegantly replicates the gradual organic character of finding the ideal comfort zone in relationships and interactions, especially when times and events are as complicated as they have been within the last couple of years. . . The black box space enhanced the exquisite chamber ensemble vibe of Blake’s tender, sensitive artistic vision.”
- Les Roka
Grace and beauty in a downtown underpass: OuterSpace concert sets high mark in Salt Lake City’s dance culture of impressive artistic entrepreneurship
“Closing the concert was a sense of quiet . . .This understated work juxtaposes a profound sadness with the hope of healing light. Blake’s choreography suited the challenge precisely—to provide the appropriate hue of a grand sense of optimism without it seeming trite or cliché or overpowering. . .Blake’s choreography teases out the panoply of complexities in the music, which opens with a somber hymn and then ever so gradually expands into a vista that offers a slim, delicate yet obvious note of hope, welcoming us gently to emerge from the darkness of this extraordinarily difficult year.”
- Les Roka
The Penguin Lady, joBdance & LAJAMARTIN in SPHERE: Phase One
“We had the opportunity to see Blake’s choreography course through his own body in “only he might know?” - a solo that grappled with identity expression. His back exposed to the audience, Blake rippled his shoulder blades, the beginnings of phrases percolating through his spine. As these motions sometimes stopped at his neck, sometimes escaped through his fingertips, it felt as if something was gradually working its way to surface. With staccato movement, he brought himself to his feet, then shifted back to the bench where he began. The action was both sinewy and sharp, fluid and broken.”
- Emeri Fetzer
INTIMATE CONNECTION
“For a show whose stated interest was how technology influences human connection, I expected something rather cynical and cyborg-ish walking into the premiere of (dis)connect. But thanks to a curious, dedicated creator and thoughtful, emotive dancers, the show felt entirely human, arcing along a moving narrative that concluded with complicated warmth.
With an intro from Blake at the beginning and a talk back with the full production team at the end inviting observations from the audience, this was no simple duet—it was a multi-person experience, and each iteration would have been unique.
(dis)connect. imagines the possibilities that result when we attempt scale those walls. It might be painful, it might take time, we might need serious imagination to find a way—but the payoff is beautiful.”
- Rachel Best
Jo Blake: A Final Curtain Call
“Blake himself lights up talking about teaching and says he loves helping children come out of their shells and finds great joy in seeing kids explore movement. Recently he’s led the pre-professional Step Up workshop for high school students and his classes are described as “both witty and poetic and a safe place for students to investigate their own movement potential authentically and with great fun.”
- Sarah Thompson