About Ms. Jo

Jo Tabb Bonds has taught dance since 1971 and started her own studio in Saginaw, Texas in 1976. Thousands of dancers have taken classes, gained self-confidence, improved their posture, and learned to love the different aspects of dance in her loving yet professional atmosphere. Many dancers have achieved professional careers of their own as a result of their beginnings at The Dance Ranch.
“Ms. Jo” is married to Pete Bonds. They live on their ranch north of Saginaw where her studio is located in the main ranch house. They have three daughters, Missy and April Bonds and Bonnie Anderson. Missy and April help backstage during programs, at registration in late summer, and work full time on the ranch. Bonnie is married to Clint Anderson, and they have four children, Kaycee, Larkin, Ace and Owen. They live in Olney Springs, Colorado where they raise cattle on their ranch.
Ms. Jo constantly tries to improve as a teacher while giving her students the best opportunities to learn as well. To help accomplish this, she takes students to conventions and workshops and invites guest teachers for workshops in her studio.
2017 marked the 30th anniversary production of Christmas Majesty, a program that depicts the story of the Nativity in dance. This is one of Ms. Jo’s proudest accomplishments as a director.
Since 1980, she has choreographed the musicals including Oklahoma, Godspell, Damn Yankees, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, over various years for W.E. Boswell High School.
She performed for many years as a principal dancer with Ballet Concerto of Fort Worth, and later with Fort Worth City Ballet in productions of The Nutcracker and Giselle.
She began her professional career as a member of Birmingham Ballet Company, dancing roles in Les Sylphides, Jeux de Cartes, and Hansel and Gretel. She also taught at the company’s school and served as Assistant Costume Mistress for the company.
In 1975, Ms. Jo received her BFA degree in Ballet from Texas Christian University, where she performed roles in ballets, operas, and other student performances. She was chosen to be a member of Chi Tau Epsilon, a national dance fraternity while at TCU. At the same time, she taught at Southwest Recreation Center.
Ms. Jo began her dance studies in Albany, Georgia with Maude Evelyn Murphy and was a Murphy dancer for 12 years. She received an AA degree in Music with a double major in Piano and Voice from Albany Junior College where she choreographed and performed in the college’s production of Oklahoma in 1971 and repeated her roles as choreographer and performer in Once Upon a Mattress the following year. She was first runner-up in the 1972 “Miss Dance of Georgia” Pageant sponsored by Dance Masters of America.