Raqs Maqom

Jo Hadley was introduced to Persian dance in 1997 by Laurel Victoria Gray. Jo immediately fell in love with this exquisite art form, and was determined to pursue it on a serious level. This passion led to even more cultures for Jo to study. Ms. Gray continues to be her primary instructor for Persian dance, but Jo has also been influenced by other renowned experts in the dance such as Robyn Friend, Anthony Shay, and Helene Eriksen.

In 1998, Jo was introduced to Central Asian dance when Ms Gray and Travis Fontaine Jarrell (both of whom have lived and studied dance in Uzbekistan) worked together to bring the famous Uzbek dancer and ‘People’s Artist of Uzbekistan’, Qizlarhon Dusmukhamedova, to the United States for the first time ever to introduce American dancers the complex, rigorous, and beautiful dances of Central Asia. Jo fell in love, yet again, added more cultures to her research list, and continues to study with Qizlarhon, who only comes to the United States once a year to teach. Through Qizlarhon, Jo has a direct, prestigious lineage to one of the most famous dance families in Uzbekistan, the Akilov family. Many of the Central Asian dances in Jo’s extensive repertoire were choreographed by Isakar Akilov, the patriarch and dance master of the famous family, his wife, Marguerite, and their daughters, Lola, Vika, and Zuleikha. Jo has also studied Central Asian dance with People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, Qadir Muminov, and with Olimjon Beknazarov, Sitora Khatamova, and Helene Eriksen. The styles that Jo has studied with these extraordinary dancers and teachers are Turkmen, Afghan, Tajik, Uighur, and Uzbek (from the regions of the Fergana Valley, Khorezm, and Bukhara).

Travis Jarrell, who co-sponsored Qizlarhon’s first few annual visits to the United States, continues to be Jo’s main teacher for Bukharan dance and music in the style of the Sozandas, who are the professional female wedding singers and dancers of Bukhara. Through Ms. Jarrell, Jo traces her two distinct and prestigious lineages back to two of the most famous Bukharan Sozandas of our time: Oliahon Hasanova of the Mohy-Sitora Folkloric Ensemble, and the incomparable Tufaxon Pinkhasova.

In 1990, Jo founded the Crescent Moon Dance Company, whose motto is ‘Education through Entertainment’, to promote and celebrate the many rich, diverse, and ancient cultures of the Middle East and Central Asia through their dances. The Company’s repertoire includes folk and classical dances from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and East Turkistan. Jo Hadley and the Crescent Moon Dancers are based in Louisville, Kentucky.