Tonya Kay
=Tonya Kay=
Tonya Kay | |
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| Website | tonyakay.com, Kayos Market |
Tonya Kay is a film actress, television personality, professional dancer and oddities artist, best known for her performances on SciFi's Who Wants to Be a Superhero?, Off-Broadway's Stomp and on tour with the hit band Panic At The Disco.
Early Life
Tonya Kay was born in southern Michigan. At age four she was enrolled by her mother in tap dance classes and was performing in musical theatre by age six. At fifteen she was cast in her first professional production, "The Music Man" at Detroit's Fisher Theatre.
Tonya Kay graduated valedictorian of her high school class and did not continue with traditional education.
A vegetarian since age eight, vegan since age seventeen and current raw foodist, Tonya Kay is an environmental activist and fuels her car with waste vegetable oil. Tonya Kay is a practicing pagan and Chaote. She has addressed all these interests in a number of published articles.
Performance Career
Tonya Kay's performances include three years in Broadway's Stomp and an aerial stuntwoman trainee spot in Off-Broadway's De La Guarda. She has toured with Panic At The Disco, Kenny Rogers, The Tap Dance Kid and The Rugrats. In July 2001, Tonya Kay wrote and directed Xtreme Rhythm Theatre, an all-rhythm production based on her experiences as a young woman living in New York City.
Her work with Stilt World led to an appearance in NBC's America's Got Talent's semi-finals, where she spun fire poi. This led to her hosting a fire/poi spinning instructional video, How To Spin Poi with Tonya Kay.
Her concert dance credits include Peggy Spina's Tap Company (NYC), Mark Goodman's Tap Company (LA), Deca Dance Hip-Hop Theatre (NYC), Axis Danz flagging/modern dance company (NYC), Life Force Ensemble modern dance (Chicago) and Stilt World stilt dance (LA). She has had an extensive career in legit theatre, musical theatre, touring performance, concert dance, commercial work and independent film.
In 2006, Kay appeared as Creature, the fruit-eating "fairy from another planet", on the first season of SciFi's Who Wants to Be a Superhero?.
She currently appears as a 14-inch high gremlin in a 2007 Progressive Auto Insurance commercial.
Training
Tonya Kay is a professional actress, dancer and vocalist who is trained in knife throwing, whipcracking, stilts, flagging dance and as an aerial stuntwoman as well.
References
Features
- "Panic Stage R-Rated Spectacle" in Spin (1 February 2007)
- "Panic's Glam Rock Circus" in Rolling Stone (14 December 2006)
- "Panic At The Disco On Tour" on MTV News (16 November 2006)
- "Freak Show Deluxe" in the Gaston Gazette (27 October 2006)
- "Vegan With A Bull Whip" in Detroit Free Press (3 August 2006)
- "Who Wants To Be A Superhero Females" in TV Guide (9 June 2006)
- "Tonya Finds Success the Vegan Way" in Veg News (1 January 2006)
Interviews
- "Spirituality and Athleticism on Raw Food" with Raw Food Planet (1 June 2006)
- "The Vegan Lifestyle Changed Tonya Kay's Life" with Bodybuilding.com (1 February 2005)
- "Real Raw Superheros" with The Best Day Ever (13 November 2006)
- "Tonya Kay's Self-Marketing Success Story" with Answers4Dancers.com (1 August 2005)
- "Who Wants To Drive A Veggie Car?" with Viking Youth Radio (03 November 2006)
- "Who Wants To Be A Superhero?" with Dark Horse Comics (12 July 2006)
Articles Written
- "Living Cuisine Raw Restaurant Review" in Funky Raw Magazine (1 January 2007)
- "Spinning Poi - Athletic Training Tips" in Organic Athlete Online (3 June 2006)
- "Drive Free", p.2 in Funky Raw Magazine (4 January 2006)
- "Eden's Apple" in Funky Raw Magazine (1 January 2006)
- "Serious About Play" in Organic Athlete (27 November 2004)
- "Dancing With Death" in Covenant of the Goddess (31 October 2004)
- "Back To What's Real", p.2 in Living Nutrition (1 March 2004)
