Imation Dance Company artistic director Hodjie Jo has a distinct vision for jazz and hip-hop dance — one that is wide-reaching and eclectic.

“I was trained as a ballet dancer, but I have a cultural background in martial arts,” he says. “I was out there doing breakdancing and doing jazz classes — going to Las Vegas (Nev.) and performing,” the 42-year-old north Phoenix resident says. “I feel like every time I go do a performance, I’m showing all of those elements that are within.”

His background is reflected in his choreography for Imation. Under Jo’s direction, his dancers combine jazz, ballet and elements of urban groove into a style of unparalleled dance movements.

“It is very subtle. The street dance can be too raw if you just put it out there,” he says. “We’re using robotic movements and certain elements of the breakdance itself.”

Jo founded Imation (a word he invented drawing from animation and fusion) three years ago because he did not see a local outlet for professional jazz and hip-hop dancers. Imation’s dancers range in age from 17 to 36 and live all around the Valley from Gilbert to Scottsdale, Avondale to Tempe.

The company will perform for the first time at the Herberger Theater Friday night. The initial part of the World Beat concert will be set to a diverse sampling of live traditional music, including steel drumming by Caribbean Zone and Japanese taiko drumming by local group Fushido Daiko.
“We have a few pieces that are more worldly,” says 21-year-old dancer Vanessa Freeman of Gilbert. “We have an African piece that we’re doing. There are ballet movements in there and some jazz movements. But, it is mainly African dance.”

Along with the choreography, the look of the show will also bring together Jo’s eclectic cultural influences. The costumes, which he designed, will be vibrant and outlandish — for one number, female dancers will wear yellow bikini tops, flowing pants and bushy sleeves, making them resemble the Chiquita banana character.
The ladies have a piece that includes a bouncing chorus line, evoking visions of party dancing in the hull of a cruise ship. There’s also a limbo encore to make audiences of all ages giddy.

A flamenco piece, set to raging Spanish guitar, showcases the talents of four male dancers. The men stride into the ring with tension and calculated footwork and then become pirouetting matadors.

“With something like movement, it’s great to try to see what different techniques meld well together,” says dancer Don Alarcon, 25. “It’s always good to incorporate a lot of different styles ... because it gives you an idea of what dance can be.”