What Beyoncé’s Dancer Taught Me About Moving Your Body With Intention 

A conversation with Deja Riley about reclaiming intentional movement and making it yours. 

If you’ve ever felt too intimidated, too out of shape, or not good enough to start moving your body, it’s time to declutter those thoughts. 

I recently sat down with my old friend from high school, Deja Riley, on Episode 154 of the Paring Down podcast, and the whole conversation absolutely filled me up. Wednesday episodes revolve around the good stuff—what do we want to fill our lives with? Decluttering is great, yes, but we have to think about what we want to keep and expand, too! And we’re currently closing out a series all about joy…because joy is the good stuff!

So Deja came on the show to talk about movement, joy, the pressure to perform, and why your bathroom dance party is as valuable as lifting weights. 

Deja had a decade-long career as a professional dancer, performing with artists like Beyoncé, JLo, Lady Gaga, and more. She was also the face of Lululemon campaigns and a popular instructor on PopSugar. After having her baby, moving her body suddenly looked very different, which is why she’s the perfect person to help us find joy in moving no matter what our limitations.

What Does Movement Mean to You?

Here’s what a lot of us grew up learning about fitness: movement is as much about aesthetics as it is about feeling good. You get the right shoes, the right leggings, the right playlist. You find a class that doesn’t terrify you, but you do your best not to look like a weirdo.

Deja’s whole philosophy dismantles that completely.

Her mantra, borrowed from Arthur Ashe, is start where you are, use what you have, do what you can. And she means it literally. You can start for free. You can start at home. You can start today.

She told me that when people say movement isn’t fun, her first question is: “What does movement mean to you? What does it look like?”

Most of the time, people have accidentally defined movement as something really rigorous—pushing sleds, battle ropes, not leaving until you’re drenched. And if that’s the only definition you believe, it’s going to feel like punishment.

But what if movement could also be step aerobics in your living room? A walk outside in the sunshine? Chasing your toddler around the park? 

This resonated with me deeply as someone who talks a lot about intentional living. We’re so quick to assume there’s a “right” way to do things, when really, the best way  is the one that actually fits your life—nothing to do with aesthetics or impressing anyone else.

Reframing Movement is Good For You

Deja popularized postpartum dance parties on her Instagram page, and it drew in thousands of moms who felt empowered to turn on some music and move in a way that felt good without any pressure. 

Deja describes this type of movement as removing the lid from a carbonated bottle, so whatever’s been building up inside finally has somewhere to go. Tears, laughter, tension, stress. It’s not just physical release. It’s an emotional release. And there’s real science behind this!

Movement triggers dopamine and serotonin, and group movement has been linked to better mental health and more pro-social behavior. 

Nobody Has It All Figured Out, Not Even Beyoncé’s Dancer

Most of us know that movement is good for us, but sometimes it’s hard to just do it. There have been days where even Deja sat in the gym parking lot for thirty minutes before going inside. 

Nobody has it all figured out. We’re all just in different seasons.

So the next time you’re modifying a push-up—which Deja also does, by choice, because it feels better in her body—remember this: there is no gold star for suffering through the version you can’t do yet. There’s just movement, and you get to decide what it looks like based on what brings joy to your body and mind.

Listen to Episode 154 of Paring Down wherever you get your podcasts, or click the badges below.

Episode Timestamps

[3:07] Shannon introduces Deja

[11:25] Deja talks about rejection

[16:40] Deja’s postpartum movement struggles

[21:44] Reframing movement

[37:00] Modifying movement for your own needs

[47:36] Embracing personal preferences and seasons of life