Joan studied music from the age of five and spent many hours choreographing her own dances. At the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Joan began her formal study of dance, taking jazz, modern, and ballroom. She immediately fell in love with partner dancing, joining the Ballroom Formation Team at UNC. Joan has continued to study, teach, judge, and perform dance of all kinds because it is her love language. She is a world- champion line dancer, placed second in the United Country Western Dance Council 2025 Pro-Pro Div II, and has led her own pro-am partners to become world champions in country-western dancing.