Did you know this Friday is National Tap Dance Day? In honor of this spectacular art form and craft, and as part of Feed The Passion of Young Artists, we thought it would only be appropriate this week to feature one of our talented tap dancing alumnae, Roxy King, Academy Class of 2016!
Roxy King just finished her second year at Montgomery College in Maryland, majoring in General Studies. Among many accolades, Roxy recently won first place in the 2018 “Montgomery’s Got Talent” show! She came in second place last year, and went back to win this year.
Roxy is preparing for a busy summer traveling to Chicago for “The Chicago Human Rhythm Project,” to New Jersey for “The Jersey Tap Festival,” and “to New York City for the “The Tap Family Reunion.” She will take classes and will also be teaching in New Orleans for a couple of days. To wrap up she will be traveling to Brazil to teach and just enjoy the country.
When asked what Metropolitan School of the Arts and The Academy has meant to her, Roxy said, “I really appreciated being thrown into all the different genres the school had to offer. Thanks to all the amazing teachers, I am able to walk into any audition and be able to sing 16 bars without freaking out. I also would be able to hopefully make it past the ballet round, and even be able to recite a monologue with tactics and emotions. I am very grateful to have been able to harness these tools to use alongside my talent in tap dance to open up a larger world of possibilities.”
She also talked about some special memories. “I have always thought that the parents and students who bought into this notion of a Metropolitan School of the Arts were like venturous pioneers and a little bit crazy. That first student body is my favorite memory of the Academy. There were five students, they’ve all graduated, who provided a certain pizzazz for the new school. The five of them were always into some sort of shenanigans on the academic side as well as the arts. We worked hard but also made time for fun.” My admiration for these students then, as it is now, is about their talent, their passion for the arts, their gratitude for the unique experience at MSA, and thankfulness for where they are and what they’re doing as alumni or at Metropolitan.”
Roxy says her proudest moment was being invited to teach at “Tap in Rio,” which is the largest tap festival in Brazil. If it wasn’t for Charles Renato (Tap Teacher at Metropolitan/Artistic Director of MYTE) pushing me out there I wouldn’t have been able to create these wonderful relationships with the tap community in Brazil that I have now because of that opportunity. I am forever grateful for him and for all the doors of opportunities that opened in Brazil since then!”
Roxy’s Dad, Nick King, also shared his reflections. “My child was in the throws of home school since 4th grade when the Academy opened. She didn’t enter the school when it first opened, but came in at the midyear point after some serious thought by our family. She has more or less ground to a halt with the constant solo online work. Our hope that the online school work in a school setting with learning coaches and others doing the same would be the change that she needed. I am grateful and very appreciative of the role the Academy played in her high school education. She brought to a conclusion the work of her school life within a student body she enjoyed and liked. Thank you MSA.”
The JOY of Roxy!
Roxy at Ted Shawn Theater at Jacob’s Pillow, which is the oldest and longest running dance festival. “I was chosen from hundreds of applicants to participate with 24 other young artists from around the world to attend the 2017 tap program and I’ll never forget it,” Roxy said.
Roxy and all her friends at “Tap in Rio.”
If you are inspired by Roxy and her fellow alumni, please consider supporting their legacy, The Academy at Metropolitan School of the Arts. Feed The Passion of Young Artists and help us reach our goal or the first annual giving campaign and 5thAnniversary! YOU can make a difference in the lives of young artists.
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