Meet Natalia Whalen | Dance instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalia Whalen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalia, how does your business help the community?
Joy of Dance helps community by providing the historical and cultural elements of dance in its purest form; self expression through movement. By breaking down dance styles and supporting its roots with accurate information students build a deeper bond to their body, art, and culture. Joy of Dance brings joy through the power of knowledge!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Joy of Dance is a school that has been in the works since 2020. It actually came out of a bad situation where I was accused of stealing business from my boss’s studio. It was the middle of the pandemic and I was hosting barre classes over Zoom with students from Massachusetts (where I’m from). When my boss fired me she literally said “the world is a bad place because of people like you.” It broke my heart and made me feel incapable of being an instructor. But I realized she said that because she was afraid of my aptitude. That sparked a little fire under my ass to keep going and thank the people who want to make me feel small. While I built the concept of Joy of Dance I worked for many dance studios in Miami. I’m very grateful for all the experiences they gave me especially when it comes to handling angry dance parents. More importantly I realized I am not just any other dance instructor / studio owner. I really want every single student to walk away from class with more knowledge than when they came in.

JOD is not your typical dance school, there’s no studio, not yet anyways. I provide classes and an educational podcast. I’ve been teaching dance for over ten years so the idea to have my own school has always been in the back of my mind. I originally named it Apollo’s Geometry after my philosophy on dance and pedagogy. However over time I realized that the philosophy I hold in dance will always be there but that the joy we feel while dancing can be quite fleeting. I honed in on this idea. Dance can be so many things- euphoric, frustrating, exciting, exhausting. It is also an integral part of world culture and an amazing medicine for the mind. These themes are universal but often forgotten especially in an ever evolving tech era. A JOD class invites you to celebrate these concepts and in turn you celebrate yourself through the power of art.

My biggest accomplishment so far is Creative Movement for Children. It’s an outdoor dance class, we would meet up in a beautiful park on the bay in Miami Beach. My students and I developed new ways to express emotion through dance. Also letting them explore and learn outside was so special. Kids just need to be outside! Roll in the grass, watch the ants go by, dance in the wind! I ended the series when I became pregnant but look forward to starting CMC back up.

Now I am a stay at home mom so a lot of what I do as an educator has been put on hold. I just started the Joy of Dance podcast. It focuses on history and culture in the moving arts. While I was pregnant I had less desire to move about but wanted to stay in touch with my art so I consumed a lot of information on dance. Every time I put on a podcast I was so disappointed. I don’t want the top ten tips for nailing an audition, or hear about the best dancers in the industry funneled from LA! I want to know who invented pointe shoes and why Lindy Hop is so important to American culture. Moncell Durden was one of the only people I found who could drop key information like this. On my Instagram I made a couple reels about ballet history and then decided to go in full force. You can listen to JOD on Spotify and Apple Music. I just did an amazing interview with two professional dancers who drop gems on the importance of Son and Afro Cuban dance.

With everything I do in JOD being honest is top priority. I’m not trying to sell anyone an idea of what my brand is. This is it- a dance history nerd, who is taking her sweet time to develop the perfect experience for anyone willing to listen and dance.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well first off I am a homebody! I love staying home with a good cup of coffee and a book. I highly recommend anything by Sarah J. Maas. I love going to Books&Books in Coconut Grove. Coconut Grove is the first neighborhood I lived in in Miami. It’s gorgeous, there’s so many trees. It’s like a little jungle. Right next to Books&Books is Panther coffee, I recommend getting the lavender latte with oat milk – HOT, but if you like iced that’s okay too. For lunch I love Tinta y Cafe in Coral Gables. It has the best Cuban coffee, pastelitos, and sandwiches. La Caleña is my favorite sandwich. Tinta y Cafe is a no wifi zone, no laptops are allowed inside. It’s a great local spot that celebrates the art of conversation. The Perez Art museum is beautiful and right on the water. Crandon Beach is my favorite spot for a good picnic and beach day. There are a lot of palm trees and very few tourists. Windsurfer beach is perfect to watch the sunset and there’s free parking which is hard to find in Miami! For date night my husband and I love Momi in Brickell. It’s a tiny ramen spot, maybe just five tables in the place. Bonding is also a little hole in the wall if you’re looking for something romantic. For dancing you have to go the Ball & Chain for the salsa. There’s always live music. That’s where you can find a great mixture of the pros, social dancers, and beginners! Miami is very welcoming when it comes to dance tourism. El Patio is really fun. Lots of reggaeton so lots of perreo! Lastly check out La Colada on Calle 8. My good friend and I are regulars. The servers are super sweet and attentive and make a fire colada and cortadito.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people I give thanks to for where I am at as a dancer today. Firstly, Darrell Pucciarrello, my childhood dance teacher. He taught me just about everything I know and is where I get the phrase “joy of dance” from. He taught me how to tell a room who I am without speaking a single word, just use the power of movement. Mónica Chavarria, my dear friend, is a professional dancer here in Miami who I always look at with awe. She is so inspiring and always supports my ideas and art. Without her friendship I would not have the confidence to continue doing my life’s work. There is also Moncell Durden who is an absolute pillar in the world of dance. We’ve spoken a few times online, he is extremely intelligent and takes great pride in fully understanding the roots of dance and culture. He is a great person to follow if you are looking for someone who refuses to be anyone but themself. Most importantly, my daughter Tatiana. She was born this past October. Tatiana has changed my life for the better, I never knew I could love so much. She inspires me everyday to choose perseverance and tenacity. Her spirit is so fierce, an absolute force to be reckoned with. When I am tired or feel lost I look at her, and by just seeing her eyes look at me with so much trust and hope, I find the energy to continue my journey.

Instagram: @joyof.dance

Other: Check out the Joy of Dance podcast on spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/5gmIy7GCnhSFxpoAbR0Eqj?si=ce3ea70877a649fe