DJOE TOMAKLOE
Career of Resilience: Navigating Dance when you don’t Fit in Heather Saunders Describing his dance style as a fusion of contemporary and African dance mixed with classic ballet, Djoe Tomakloe began his dance career ‘body popping’ in the streets of Leicester during the 1970s and 1980s. A regular at the reggae dance halls of the time, Tomakloe grew up with African Caribbean Reggae and R’n’B, and was initially inspired by robotics and acrobatics that was so popular during this time on for Northern School of Contemporary Dance where he began his formal training. Focusing on strength, Tomakloe is a product of the Martha Graham technique and form in the fluidity of his performances; the ‘mechanics’ of the body fast became his signature dance style. Now in his sixties, his extensive career is a varied one drawing on a range of influences, particularly from West African dance. He is an admirer of Bode Lawal and H Patten and is proud to have worked with Peter Badejo and Jackie Guy among so many others. Early influences came from Earle Robinson and Morris Gilmore in his hometown of Leicester. This led to performances at the Phoenix Theatre and Haymarket Theatre in the city, along with a showcase at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There he met Kate Hutchinson and Judy Webb, further influencing him to audition for Northern School of Contemporary Dance where he began his formal training. 12
