About Us
EJ’s Dance Studio is owned and run by Evens (“EJ”) Joseph – a husband, father of five, and talented instructor and performer. EJ combines his infectious warmth and creative movement with his desire to improve the community. This provides even his most nervous students with a feeling of relaxation immediately upon entering his studio – where he makes them feel both comfortable and encouraged, as he shares his gift of dance with them.
EARLY YEARS
Born and raised in Haiti, EJ loved to dance even before he was born. When his mother was pregnant, music made pre-baby EJ motion about in her belly continuously. As a child, his passion for dancing only expanded. As a young boy, EJ taught his parents’ friends steps to folkloric music and performed dances for house guests. At 10, he taught local youth different dances and staged group performances. At 16, he started teaching Latin and ballroom dancing at a studio and dance club. He recalls spending five glorious hours a day teaching and dancing – this young man was unstoppable.
At 24 years old, with the help of his stepmother, EJ moved to Miami. With an invitation to dance with Noche Latina in Boston, he toured with the group for three years, performing in Boston, New York, and throughout the Northeast.
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS THROUGH DANCE
As EJ adjusted to life in the U.S., he noticed recurring conflicts in local clubs — often sparked simply because many men did not know how to respectfully ask a woman to dance or how to partner with confidence. “I can change this,” he thought. EJ started an open dance class at a local club, teaching Konpa and Passada – “come early,” he said, “and I will teach you two steps.” As these men began to learn the steps and the etiquette that goes along with it, behavior began to radically improve at one club. Soon, word spread, and EJ’s teaching expanded through the clubs like wildfire.
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As a gifted dancer, teacher, and communicator – with an ever-affirming approach to both dance and life – EJ began to see how he could use the power of movement to create positive, transformative effects on individuals and communities. He believed that his ability to dance, teach, and inspire others was a calling, one that could touch communities in profound and meaningful ways – far beyond the dance floor.
He took his talent to Dorchester, where he opened his first dance studio. It was no accident that the studio was located on a busy corner of a low-income neighborhood known for high traffic and violence. When cars stopped at the light, they could see through the open studio doors — hearing the vibrant music and feeling the joy radiating from inside. The local police took notice and launched a partnership with EJ, supporting his grassroots approach to community building. Soon, his studio became not just a place to learn dance, but a hub for unity, connection, and dialogue.
A PIONEER OF KIZOMBA & KONPA IN BOSTON
Long before Kizomba, Konpa, and other Afro-Caribbean partner dances gained widespread popularity, EJ was one of the first — and most influential — instructors to introduce and teach them in Boston. His early leadership laid the foundation for today’s Kizomba and Konpa communities, helping the dances spread across studios, socials, and festivals throughout New England.
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Many of the major instructors teaching Kizomba and Konpa today began their journey with EJ — learning their fundamentals, shaping their style, or receiving their first teaching opportunities under his mentorship.
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THE “NEWBORN METHOD”
A hallmark of EJ’s teaching is his signature approach known as the Newborn Method, developed over decades of studying movement and understanding how people learn.
Its core philosophy is simple but transformative:
everything you learn in one dance — if taught properly — will prepare you for the next.
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EJ emphasizes the importance of correct technique from the very beginning, because bad habits are hard to break and can slow progress across all styles. When the foundation is built cleanly and intentionally, each new dance becomes easier, more natural, and more intuitive.
With this method, students experience faster growth, smoother transitions, and a deeper understanding of partner dance as a whole. Whether someone starts with Salsa, Kizomba, Konpa, Pasada, or Bachata, EJ teaches movement in a universal, interconnected way that layers seamlessly across all dances.
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This method is made possible by EJ’s ability to dance over 33 styles — giving him the rare insight to see the shared mechanics, rhythms, and body logic across global partner dances. Combined with his lifetime of experience, he has developed the gift to teach anyone to dance, often by translating their everyday movements, hobbies, or natural tendencies into techniques they can immediately understand.
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TODAY
EJ moved to progressively larger studios, arriving at his current West Bridgewater location in 2025 — a spacious, beautiful dance center designed to welcome dancers of all levels and backgrounds. This new studio represents years of dedication, growth, and community service — a place where movement, music, and culture come together under one roof.
Through EJ’s Dance Studio, he teaches close to 500 students each year a variety of dances, including Kizomba, Salsa, Passada, Cha-cha, Rumba, Folklore, Konpa, Merengue, Urban Kiz and Bachata. His students not only learn dance steps and rhythm, but also experience reduced stress, increased confidence, and renewed joy through movement.
EJ’s influence reaches far beyond the studio. He leads workshops and performances at colleges, universities, and multicultural festivals throughout New England, sharing his passion for cultural dance and community connection with diverse audiences. His collaborations include the Harvard Latin & Afro-Caribbean Dance Series, where he introduces students from around the world to the rhythms, stories, and traditions that shape Caribbean and Latin dance.
A LEGACY OF IMPACT
EJ continues to prove that dance is more than movement — it’s a language of unity, healing, and celebration. When you walk into his studio, perhaps with a bit of trepidation, you’re quickly met with warmth, encouragement, and the same belief that drives everything he does: the beauty of dance can truly change your life - and your community.