BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — It started with June Miller walking around the block listening to music trying to overcome mental health struggles, when the idea hit her to start dancing. Now, she dances in public to spread joy.
- June Miller, a Bakersfield resident, spreads joy by dancing on street corners.
- Her journey began in April 2021 as a way to combat her mental health struggles.
- Initially met with negativity, she has since gained community support.
Bakersfield Resident June Miller isn’t your typical street performer, she’s not doing this to make a living. Rather, she’s on a mission of spreading joy among the community one dance move at a time.
“My mission is to normalize joy,” said Miller.
Miller says it all started back in April of 2021, trying to find herself during a difficult time in her life.
“I was actually trying to come out of depression, and stop caring about what people thought about me,” said Miller.
Knowing that she needed more than to just talk to someone, she started to spend her days walking around the neighborhood to dance, and then the idea came to her.
“Finally I said you know what I’m gonna dance,” said Miller.
Being a dance instructor herself, she took to the streets to share her passion.
Interviewing her on the corner and Calloway she says this although this is one of her favorite spots to dance, it’s not the only place she can be found.
“I’m gonna go to every corner and normalize joy in this city because we need it more than anything right now,” said Miller.
At first Miller says she wasn’t greeted with open arms, stating that people would throw things at her, yell at her, even sometimes calling the cops on her.
“Joy is triggering for some people because that’s not normal for a lot of people,” said Miller.
However, she didn’t let that stop her.
Miller says for the past four years, she’s set herself a goal of dancing every day either in the morning or evening to avoid the heat.
“Then people started getting out of traffic and saying hey you’re making my day better with your joy,” said Miller.
Since then she’s been spotted throughout the city by community members as she makes it an effort to make at least one persons day better and has one message for others.
“Be intentional about your joy,” said Miller. “We make time for things that we don’t like so why are we not making time for things that we love to do.”
Miller encourages passerby’s to not only say hello but to join her on the street and make someone's day a bit happier.
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