About

Joy of Motion Dance Center (JOMDC) was founded by Michelle Ava, M.A. in 1976 as a not-for-profit dance education organization in the Cleveland Park area of Washington, DC. Ava recognized that DC needed a dance environment that could serve a more diverse populist to include non-dancers as well as aspiring professionals, to that end, the center was founded under one premise and belief that ‘Dance is for everyone”.  At Joy of Motion the goal was to bring dance to all (regardless of means) and to connect dance to other related arts.  Since its inception, Joy of Motion Dance Center quickly became a place where students could study, observe, and perform a wide variety of dance forms. 

The multi-media art of late faculty member Jack Guidone and the modern and improvisational work of Ava gave JOMDC a progressive and experimental aura, which helped to establish the center as a melting pot of change and excitement in the world of D.C. dance. During the early years, JOMDC’s faculty, staff, enrollment, and class offerings grew rapidly.  JOMDC programming ranged from modern and jazz to mime, improvisation, and Body Dynamics (JOMDC’s signature dance exercise program at that time).  Opportunities included programs for children and senior citizens. Michelle Ava served as artistic director from 1976 to 1990 and was Board Member Emeritus. She created experimental and traditional work performed in alternative and formal venues, from rooftops, art galleries, metro stations and lofts to the Kennedy Center, Dance Place, the Jack Guidone Theater, and the inaugural Capital Fringe Festival.

AVA Technique—a transformational technique based on the life-enhancing qualities of Authenticity, Vibrancy, and Awareness—informed her teaching and mentoring.

 Michelle Ava believed and held to the belief that at Joy of Motion, dance is not the province of an elite or talented few. Dance belongs to us all, and we all belong in the studio and on the stage — growing and learning, moving and creating.

Michelle Ava, Sunrise November 1, 1950 ~ Sunset February 27, 2022