There is no denying that positive energy is contagious, and if anyone that knows a thing or two about staying positive in an era of uncertainty, it’s Novato resident Joy Greenlaw. Joy has been filming herself dancing around Marin County almost every weekend for the past several years and has accumulated over fifty thousand followers on Instagram and TikTok in the process. “I began creating short dance videos during the pandemic — it was challenging at first and took me several months to learn, but overall, it was very rewarding,” Joy says.
Originally from the Philippines, Joy moved to Marin County almost two decades ago to raise her three children and has called Novato home since. “I started doing my dances in public and asked Marin locals to join in. This gave me so much happiness to see the joy in others who danced with me — it was my therapy,” Joy adds. Whether she’s getting her daily exercise in by doing the Miami shuffle step or dancing with locals outside of small businesses to garner for attention for them, Joy’s moves serve several purposes. It’s her way of giving back to the community in Marin, and in her home country. “My dad established the Mary the Queen College in Pampanga, Philippines and I donate everything that I earn from through my Amazon Influencer program to our school,” she says. So, if you spot her grooving to her favorite song, Three Dog Night’s “Joy to The World,” in Sausalito or Tiburon, don’t forget to say hi and maybe joyfully dance along with her. See her in action @joygreenlaw.
