12/16/2025
For 49 years, Joy of Motion Dance Center has been a place where dance is for everyone. From tiny tots to professional dancers to our stunning seniors and everyone in between, Joy of Motion became a hub for artistic expression, creativity, and personal growth for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Post-pandemic, Joy reopened in 2022 and we are proud of our students, instructors, community, and staff for bringing a fantastic and ever-growing slate of programming to life!
However, the challenges of these past years compounded by the recent and rapid depletion of both public and private grant funds have become insurmountable. The leadership has worked to secure additional funds, but the cost of retaining a brick and mortar space as the sole lessee is no longer possible for Joy of Motion and the studio will relinquish its lease on Dec. 31st.
Youth programming will continue in January until Jan. 24th at ATLAS PAC, while adult programming will conclude on Dec. 31st.
While we are incredibly sad to share this news, we know that all arts organizations must adjust, adapt and recalibrate within these difficult times. We remain hopeful that we can restart Joy of Motion programming through Atlas Performing Art Center in the new year. While Joy of Motion will not have a space that is solely ours, the mission remains the same. No matter what physical space we are in, all Joy of Motion classes, workshops, and performances will always be a space where dance is for everyone.
We are eternally grateful to our community, our partners at Atlas Performing Arts Center, and anyone who has supported and continued to support Joy of Motion and the arts in DC. Our students, parents, neighbors, and friends have helped to cultivate the dance home that was envisioned by our founder Michelle Ava. Dance belongs to us all, and we all belong in a space where we can grow, learn, move and create. And we look forward to meeting you back in that space soon.
We appreciate your patience and support more than you know and are thankful for our dance family.
With Joy,
The Board of Directors 🩵