DESIRÈE JOY | Dancing Through Life: The Rhythm That Defines Me |

For as long as I can remember, dance has been at the center of my life.

Growing up in Lloydminster—a small city on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan—my mom enrolled me in dance classes at a young age. From those early beginnings to studying dance in college in Toronto and now pursuing it professionally, it has always been a constant. Interestingly, I think I only truly fell in love with dance when I moved to Toronto in 2020.

What I love most about dance is its power to move an audience. Whether I’m the one performing or watching others, the ability to evoke emotions—bringing tears, sadness, or cheers—is truly indescribable.

Art has a unique way of touching people, making them feel something profound.

Dance, to me, is the ultimate outlet.

I’ve never been great with words and often struggle to open up or express my feelings, especially when it comes to sadness or negativity. But through dance, I’ve found a way to release and process those emotions. Most of the time, I can simply wiggle myself out of a bad mood. Beyond that, I dance because I believe it’s a gift from God.

In my early years of dancing, both growing up and after moving to the city, I often heard critiques like, “You’re a clean dancer, but you look like everyone else,” or, “You lack originality.” These comments frustrated me deeply because I didn’t understand what they meant or how to address them.

During a training program, I opened up about my struggle to a teacher, and her response was a simple yet profound question: “Who is Desirèe? What makes you different?” That question stuck with me, and over time, it completely shifted my perspective.

I used to be hard on myself, striving to embody bold, extra, sexy traits—those big, badass characteristics I thought I needed. But it only took one person telling me how much they “love my elegance in a heel” for me to realize something important:

elegance itself can be bold, extra, and sexy.
I discovered there’s so much more to who I am
beyond those outward traits we often focus on.

I’m not sure where dance will take me in the future, and I’m still figuring out exactly where I want it to lead. Whether it’s teaching, touring, cruise ships, or company shows—whether in Toronto or somewhere else—I’m happy.

Dance may not define me completely, but it is undeniably a major part of who I am.

Along with my faith, dance has shaped and formed me into the person I am today.

I don’t have it all figured out yet. I still haven’t fully discovered “what is Desirèe”—and that’s okay. I believe I’m on the right path, with so much more of myself still to uncover.Whenever I doubt myself or feel uninspired, I remind myself of one simple truth: