Local Dancer Highlight : Taylor Kay
MAR. 20, 2018
By day I am a mortgage professional. My official muggle title is a Consumer Loan Underwriter. I have worked for the corporate world for 10 years and prior to that I was an entrepreneur and ran several businesses. Unfortunately, the housing crash in 2009 forever changed my career path. But it was a definite blessing in disguise. I absolutely love what I do and knowing my hard work helps people all over the country to be homeowners.
My pole journey started on a cold day in December of 2016. I had a friend mention Dollhouse Pole Studio to me at a random girls dinner night as I had been looking for a new adventure. I just bit the bullet and signed up for a 4 week Intro to Pole workshop and that day, Katie (who was my first instructor) changed my life!
Prior to this day, I had danced from the age of 2 until I was 26. I became a competitive dancer at the age of 7. I trained in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical and Tap. Ballet was my first love and when I was about 8, I trained also in Pointe Ballet for several years. My ultimate dream was to dance on Broadway and retire as a Rockette. I went on to start teaching at the age of 11 and I finished at 26 as a high school dance team coach. I taught toddlers and also held private lessons training fellow competitors with their solos, duets and trios as well as doing all of the choreography for their routines.
During the years I wasn’t dancing(from 26-39), I always felt a little lost and struggled with finding something to fill that void in a gym and personal training. Nothing ever compared to my love for the art of dancing. Now being in my 40’s, poling has transformed my life giving me not only amazing workouts, but training in a non-judgmental environment. The challenges that it brings to my life is the key for me. There is always something new to learn, to try and keep working until you get it and once you do, it is the best feeling in the world as far as accomplishments go!
Within the past three years, I had to have four surgeries that forced me to change life. It also reminded me that maybe it was time to go back to doing something I loved and find a different avenue to learn something completely new. Which brought me to Dollhouse Pole Studios that cold December morning.
Since I started taking workshops and classes, I had learned that some of the students also competed which struck a chord in me and lit a fire. I HAD to try this again! I was able to get a feel for the stage again with the studios event in October called Dolls Must Die. I had since signed up to perform in the most recent PSO competition, Gateway that was held in St. Louis, MO the first weekend in December, 2017. I trained for 4 months (under pro competitor Emily Elise and instructor, Emma Blair) and landed a 1st place win in Level 1, Dramatic, Masters Division at Gateway with “my best runthrough ever”! Talk about how amazing it felt to get to this again in my life. I am forever changed!
Now, I am ready to move on to MNPC and I will be competing in the Novice Artistic division in January of 2018 and I am again just excited for the opportunity to perform for people and do something that I absolutely love and give that experience as well to the folks attending the event!! I am looking forward to the experience at MNPC and seeing and meeting more amazing people and hopefully placing again in this competition. For me, it’s about doing something I love and sharing that through poling!!!
Article by Jill Taylor