Joe began teaching dance in high school and then furthered his passion in college. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Northeastern University of Louisiana and moved to New Orleans where he trained and performed at the New Orleans Ballet Association and New Orleans Opera. Joe then moved to New York City to pursue a career in theatre, where he swiftly landed dance and summer stock jobs.

He performed in Caterina Valente’s European Shows, became a June Taylor Dancer on "The Jackie Gleason TV Show", worked on the movie "Hello, Dolly," performed in "Ed Sullivan Specials" and was asked to be the lead dancer on "The Jerry Lewis Show" at NBC Television in Burbank; a career move which brought him to Los Angeles, California, in 1967 and where he had a very successful career as a performer.

There he put together his own act called "Black, White and 14". It opened a new room at Anaheim’s Grand Hotel, and on opening night, Las Vegas producers Line Renaud and Loulou Gaste helicoptered in, caught the performance and hired them on the spot to star in their new Las Vegas review "Flesh". The show ran for a year at Caesar’s Palace and regularly sold out shows.

Joe opened his own studio in California in the 1970's, "Joe Tremaine Dance Center"; the dance studio to the stars, where he had thousands of students pass through his door. After nearly 30 years, he stepped aside from the Dance Center in order to devote more time to the conventions and competitions. Tremaine Dance Conventions and Competitions was established 1981. President Joe Tremaine and his staff tour the country to about 25 cities every year bringing professional choreography/teaching to over 50,000 dancers nationwide.