Once known as “The King of New York” for his extensive contributions to the dance industry, JoJo had a career that spanned over six decades with an impact far beyond. Smith’s credits include at least eight Broadway shows (West Side Story, Something More, Joyful Noise, No Strings, Your Own Thing, Gotta Go Disco, Hallelujah Baby, The 5th Dimension with JoJo’s Dance Factory) as well as major television shows, feature films and touring throughout the USA, Australia, Brazil, Japan and Europe. He was a trendsetter and socialite with famous students that included (cousin) Debbie Allen, John Travolta, Barbara Streisand, Brooke Shields, Sylvie Vartan, Barbara Walters, Diane Von Furstenburg, Karen Lynn Gorney, Joey Heatherton, Joe Namath and Melba Moore.
Smith founded JoJo’s Dance Factory along with Sue Samuels, one of the first major Dance Studios in NYC with multiple instructors in each style under one roof. This legacy continues through the studio which was briefly named “Hines, Hines & Hatchett” and is currently known as Broadway Dance Center.
The College of Arts