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Joyce Lao (legal last name: Laoagan) is an Indigenous Filipino-American from the Igorot tribe (subtribe: Ibaloi, Bago, Mountain Province) of the Austronesian people of the Cordillera region, Philippines. She is a New York City-based actress, performer, producer, director, arts educator, and arts administrator. She moved to New York City in the 2000's to work as a music director, arranger, and arts educator until she started branching out to acting, screen and playwriting, film, and theatre production. She has a degree in Psychology (pre-med), Special Education, MA in Music, MA in Arts Administration from Baruch College and attended Juilliard, Stella Adler School of Acting, and HB Studios. She is currently completing her MA in Dance Education at New York University. She grew up competing as a dancer, singer, orator, and created her own versions of performance art. She has produced, acted, and written several films that have been screened in the film festival circuit. Her Directorial debut, “Hecuba” won Runner–up as Best Ensemble and Best Director at the Ancient Drama Festival and has produced and created theatre experiences for the NYC Fringe festival, Midtown International Theatre festival, and lately, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Glasgow International Comedy Festival, Art Basel Miami, United Solo International TheaterFestival - all well received. Her latest short film, Eva's Gabriel, received nominations and awards. She has appeared and booked several shows on TV and in online streaming platforms. As an artist and performer, she also has the passion to help and promote other talents - most especially multi-talented people of color especially talents of Asian, POC, and Indigenous descent. This passion turned into a vision. She has been establishing herself as a creative professional and founded The Ally Artists Group (www.allyartists.org). She also introduced her own arts education programs and founded The Young Artist . She was nominated as a solo comedy show for the British Comedy Guide in 2024 and 2025 for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In 2022, she collaborated with fellow world indigenous creative (of the Mari people), Natalia Yandyganova - the founder of the experimental theater company - Angry Fish Theater to establish one of the first AI Immersive Theater collectives in the United States called The Waiting Room Series. Their first work, "Soulmates (Not) Found" was performed at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festiva, then eventually The Waiting Room Immersive Experiences from 2024 - 2025 with sold-out shows.
She is working on projects that aims to re-introduce world indigenous art and culture to the modern world. She co-founded the Global Indigenous and First Nations Playwrights and Composers Event with Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape artist, academic, and founder of Eagle Project, Opalanietet Pierce. She, along with her Indigenous dance troupe - The Cordillera Cultural Ensemble founded the Cordillera Gong Festival North America.
She is passionate about social justice, arts education, and human rights, and is interested in exploring the social-emotional aspect of the human psyche. She is also an avid traveler, foodie, and adventurer. She is an avid scuba diver and a free diver.
She is currently the Program Manager of Dance Education & Family Programs at The Joyce Theater - the international leader in dance presentation.
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