.Dancing for Joy

Bela Watson describes herself as a “heARTist,” but the dance floor is her favorite canvas. Watson teaches and sometimes performs alongside students ages 2 to 102 in settings ranging from schools to senior centers in the East Bay, and the Moraga-based Joy in Motion dance studio. And if Watson has her way, she’ll see even more adults on the dance floor.

“It’s always a pleasure to teach children because they’re like little sponges looking for answers,” Watson says. “But it’s also been such an incredible honor to be a teacher for adults who’ve seen a performance and choose to make themselves beginners again.”

Watson and her colleagues at Joy in Motion make it their mission to teach the joy of movement and dance to anyone who’d like to try, regardless of their age or stage. In addition to a broad swath of youth classes, the studio offers cardio jam, hip-hop, ballet, tap and jazz, and if Watson’s dreams come true, adult contemporary. In creating intentional space for adult dancers, the staff gives adults who are also parents a template to lead by example when encouraging children to try new things.

“It’s an honor to watch adults fall in love with movement and arts, and reclaim their identities as strong and flexible beings,” Watson says. “In ballet, we’re doing a form of upright yoga, finding core alignment as I teach from a somatic point of view.

“Many adults [have memories of] being pushed in ways that were unnatural for the body when they danced as children,” she adds. “I feel blessed to be able to offer the dance form from a different, more accessible mindset. Jazz is saucier and sassier. It allows dancers to tap into their personal power.”

Testimonials from students who’ve learned to show up more authentically in their personal relationships, even off the dance floor, and felt deep feelings of gratitude for the opportunity to connect or reconnect with dance, attest to the programs’ effectiveness. 

Watson resonates with Vivian Green’s quote, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain,” as she has encountered a fair amount of adversity and struggle in her life. Diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, she treats it by immersing herself in nature and all forms of art, ranging from the written word to visual, musical and movement arts. 

“We dance for joy at Joy in Motion,” Watson says. “The greater the shadow and darkness that one has faced, the greater the trials and tribulations that one has faced, the greater the amount of joy that one can face on the other side. I’m teary thinking about what a bonus all of this is for me.

“I didn’t expect to live through my experience of cancer and massive doses of chemotherapy,” she adds. “It’s the storms and the rain that have given me such a profound appreciation for how much our connectivity means.”

Swetta Abeyta, 46, an associate librarian and the mom of a 17-year-old and a 15-year-old, agrees with Watson’s view of dancing. “I started dancing when I was 4 years old, but after having kids and starting my career, my dancing days fizzled out [until] Joy in Motion started offering adult dance classes,” Abeyta says. 

Abeyta, a student of cardio jam, recently took the stage with a cohort of other adult dancers from the same class. “I’ve regained confidence in my body, discovered a creative outlet that serves as a form of stress relief and found a wonderfully supportive community,” she says. 

“[No matter how busy I am] with work and chores and kids,” Abeyta says, “I have never regretted going to dance. It’s been a form of meditation for me; it reduces my stress and helps me sleep better. I also think it’s important for my children to see me doing something for myself.” 

Those looking to get back in touch with dance after a long hiatus or who’d like to try it out can visit joyinmotiondance.org for a schedule of summer classes for adults and children.