As a lifelong student of dance, yoga and movement, Joy has trained extensively in ballet, modern, jazz and hip hop. It wasn’t until she was a Dance performance major at Western Michigan University that she studied West African and Indian Odissi dance, Pilates, and yoga, and opened her eyes to a greater scope of dance and movement. In 2002, she discovered "tribal" belly dance and became immersed in deep study, traveling to workshops around the country and in intense self-study.
Joy has enjoyed studying via multiple workshops with Amy Sigil and Unmata in ITS, Aisha Ali, "tribal fusion" workshops with Rachel Brice, Zoe Jakes, Mardi Love, Mira Betz, Cammi Vance/ Darshan, Kami Liddle, Jill Parker, Maria Hamer and Zafira Dance Company, ATS with Megha Gavin and extensive training with Carolena Nericcio, Dalia Carella, and Suhaila Salimpour. Joy is a former member of the Dalia Carella Dance Collective in New York City.
She has hosted Rachel Brice, Mardi Love, Zoe Jakes, and Dalia Carella for workshops in CT and NYC. Joy is dually certified by Fat Chance Belly Dance®’s American Tribal Style® teacher creatrix, Carolena Nericcio, in General Skills and as a certified Teacher in American Tribal Style® belly dance, and was a Sister Studio of Fat Chance Belly Dance®. Joy is Level 1 certified in both Jamila and Suhaila Salimpour formats, and is a student of the Salimpour School.
Joy is a former member of the folkloric dance troupe Kadira Noor, led by Nerine Avital, and later directed her own troupe of rascally dancers in Melange Gitan, a dark cabaret theatrical fusion troupe. Joy was founder and director of Connecticut’s first American Tribal Style (TM) belly dance troupe, Celadon Tribal.
Most recently, Joy has returned to her soloist roots, integrating classic American Cabaret with modern belly dance that is both exciting and dramatic. She continues to grow her moving meditation practices and dance classes by integrating her love of her yoga sadhana with conscious dance, Ayurveda and mindful, therapeutic movement for women.
