Joy Denver Spears is one of Nashville’s most sought-after choreographers, dancers, and movement coaches. An Alabama native, she launched her professional career in 2006 as a Top 10 female finalist on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance and earned a B.A. in Dance and Journalism from the University of Alabama.

Joy’s artist credits include Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Paula Abdul, Bette Midler, Pharrell Williams, Pitbull,will.i.am, Fall Out Boy, Priyanka Chopra, John Summit, and Lindsey Stirling. She recently choreographed and danced in a solo project for Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls. Her television and live credits include the MTV Video Music Awards, the ACM, CMA, and CMT Awards, CMA Country Christmas, The Graham Norton Show, both the U.S. and U.K. editions of The X Factor, American Idol, The Today Show, and Good Morning America.

In Music City, Joy’s work across choreography, movement direction, and performance has included projects with Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Trisha Yearwood, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, Little Big Town, Lady A, Zac Brown, Jon Pardi, Walker Hayes, Lauren Alaina, RaeLynn, Maddie & Tae, Jake Owen, Big & Rich, and Amy Grant, among many others.

Joy danced across all six seasons of ABC/CMT’s Nashville, becoming the show’s choreographer in its final season. Her other television credits include The Vampire Diaries, Drop Dead Diva, and Bunheads. She choreographed for Luke Bryan on Lip Sync to the Rescue and danced with Carrie Underwood on Nate Bargatze’s Nashville Christmas. Her feature film credits include Passengers, State of Play, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, and A Music City Story, on which she danced and served as assistant choreographer to Zach Woodlee. She also danced in Ford’s Super Bowl commercial featuring James Franco and in a commercial for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game.

Through her years of industry experience, Joy discovered a passion for artist development that’s now at the heart of her work. Today, she works with country music headliners and emerging artists across genres, preparing them for everything from their first showcase to televised award shows, festival stages, and arena tours. She helps each artist build on what already makes them compelling, strengthen their live presence, and own the stage in a way that feels true to who they are. By making movement feel less intimidating, Joy helps artists use it as a natural part of telling their story and connecting with an audience. It’s about giving them the confidence to feel at home in their own skin, wherever they perform.

Joy began working with many of the artists she coaches early in their careers, helping them find their footing onstage and develop a live presence that feels like their own. Her growing roster includes Josh Ross, Vincent Mason, Lanie Gardner, Karley Scott Collins, Abby Anderson, Ghost Hounds, Elizabeth Nichols, Just Jayne, McCoy Moore, Cody Lohden, and Tate Butts. She’s also worked with alumni of American Idol and The Voice, artists who have toured with Luke Bryan, HARDY, Bailey Zimmerman, and Nickelback, and artists who have opened for OneRepublic, Justin Timberlake, Benson Boone, and Tate McRae.

Joy hopes her story shows young dancers how far faith, determination, and hard work can take them. Wherever dance takes them, she hopes they hold on to the joy that brought them to it, stay humble, stay true to themselves, and lead with kindness on and off the stage.