A lifelong student of dance and movement, JoY has trained extensively in ballet, modern, jazz and hip hop; but it wasnt until she was a Dance performance major at Western Michigan University that she discovered West African and Indian Odissi dance, pilates and yoga that opened her eyes to a greater scope of dance. Oh, the possibilities!!

 In 2002 she discovered tribal belly dance and became immersed in obsessive study, traveling to workshops across the country, through dvd's, books and online. Some of the workshops have included multiple workshops with Unmata, Rachel Brice, Aisha Ali, Dalia Carella (currently studying regularly), Devyani, Mira Metz, Cammi Vance/ Darshan, Kami Liddle, Jill Parker, Zafira Dance Company.

Joy has since danced as a member of folkloric dance troupe Kadira Noor, led by Nerine Avital, as well  as going on to direct her own troupe of rascally dancers in Melange Gitan. 

Joy has danced locally : Cafe Mediterranea, Caffe Bottega (where she hosted monthly Fusion Dance Salons), Hartford's Charter Oak Cultural Center, the Dragon's Egg, Sound Mind and Body Studio's Hafla, Bottega Lounge and Back Room, Ballroom elegance Studio, the Connecticut Renaissance Festival, Revive Wellness Center, Caffe Bottega & Tranquility Wellness Spa with Live music by Raquy and the Cavemen, the New Haven Lawn Club, the Norwalk Inn, the Northampton MA Center for the Arts, Redwoods CA Tribal Cafe Dance Festival,  Green Street Studios in Cambridge MA, and performed and taught a workshop at Tribal Bonfire Dance Festival in New Paltz, NY....

and in New York City at Dance New Amsterdam, the Lafayette Grill, HUGS, Galapagos Art Space and will perform this Memorial Day Weekend at New York City's most prestigious dance festival, LaMama! with the Dalia Carella Dance Collective.