Renowned dance instructor and choreographer active as ever now that she has turned 60. She will be recognized on Friday, February 17
Contact Staff
There’s something intriguing about Dayle King: the way she looks … the way she moves.
“Nothing special,” she says in a recent telephone interview. “Just a lot of self confidence and the way I choose to carry myself.”
And she has decided to take it to another level now that that she has turned that magic number of 60.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to get to my 60th birthday and begin this new phase of my life. It’s an opportunity for me to rebrand myself and at the same time help women of my generation to deal with issues of aging, health and self-confidence.”
My message is: “Don’t try to look young – you should feel good and look good, whatever that means to you.”
One of the originals, Dayle has been keeping the community on the move as a dance instructor and choreographer, and in so doing she says she helped to change the face of aerobics in Montreal.
She has been at it since 1972, teaching dance in the community and across the city, helping generations of Montrealers stay active and build confidence. By the mid-1980s she launched two dance studios and fitness centers, Jazz Dance Academy Studio and Soul Impact Studio, that ushered in a different era of fitness with cardio funk, Caribbean-style moves taught by one of the masters, Selwyn Joseph, and Latin dance fitness.
“What I was doing back then was not unlike what was done with Zumba (a recent dance/fitness craze). If only I had the technology of today to help me market my product, the story would have been a lot different.”
“However, thanks to the genius of Karen Lewis, we were still able to make an impact on the city with what we were doing back then.”
With extensive involvement with other community projects, stage presentations and movies, Dayle has been able to accumulate a wide-ranging catalogue choreographing moves for acclaimed artist and movie star Vanessa Williams as well as Chili from the Group TLC in the made-for-TV movie Christmas Diva. She also worked with CBC’s Beau Dimanche and Diane Tell, La Famille Plouffe Dancers, Reddy Reddy Go and Robert Charlebois. Recently, she served as choreographer for the back-up singers for Lara Fabian’s European Tour.
She says she is embarking on her 60s with the same zest that drove her decades ago. She’s currently working with students at Beurling Academy and Queen Of Angels High School, and offering classes to Baby Boomers who want to keep active.
“It’s called the Baby Boomer Bounce and it’s for those who are 55 and over. It’s all about having fun while staying active.
“I see this phase of my life as ‘my next chapter and I would love to have as many people involved as possible.”
Contact Dayle at 514-483-3334.
*To celebrate Dale King’s milestone presence on the fitness scene, another Montreal fitness guru, Audley Coley, will be heating up the night with a celebration of “Dance & Fitness in Montreal”. Tropical Party Jamaica Night (2nd Edition), will honour Dale King at this hot event, Friday, February 17, at Club Atwater, 3505 Av. Atwater. 6:30 pm. Admission $35, VIP $50. RSVP Audley Cole @ 514-451-9077. Or audley.coley@gmail.com.
1 Comment
Allison Clarke December 10, 2018 at 6:58 pm
Good seeing you again king. Hopefully I takes you classes soon it look like I am just not in time. I love your style Queen; from day one when we meet. Much Love. Queen Bee.