We know you single folks are busy. iList Paducah's Mary Thorsby goes on that first date so you don't have to!

February 4, 2009

Tyrone C. Walker

New York City’s Ailey II performs 7:30 p.m., Friday, February 6, at West Kentucky Community & Technical College’s Clemens Fine Arts Center. Among the hottie dancers: Tyrone C. Walker, 21. Originally from Washington, D.C., Tyrone is completing his first year with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. There’s no doubt about it — he’ll pirouette and jeté right into your heart!

Tyrone C. Walker, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! When did you start dancing?
I started when I as 14. I was in high school — I went to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., and I was introduced to classical ballet and modern dance there. Once I got into the school, I knew I wanted to dance.

Were you always dancing as a kid?
Yes, I was dancing all the time. Mostly hip hop and things I’d see on TV. That’s how we discovered my talent for it — by the little things I’d do around the house.

Who’s "we"?
That would be my dad. He’s a funny guy. He’s a stage dad all the way. I love the support, though. He didn’t really notice my talent for dancing until I was in middle school. That’s when I really started learning choreography off of the TV and working in some of my own.

He encouraged you all the way?
Yes. He even asked me to learn one of Janet Jackson’s dances and perform it at his birthday. That’s when the rest of the family took notice and started to support me in any way possible. So I give more credit to him than I do to myself. He’s a great father to have.

Did you just love going to a performing arts high school? That’s so Fame!
Yes. I started taking modern dance and ballet‚ which was a surprise because I was so into hip hop. I was even more surprised to find that I had a talent for modern and ballet. I fell in love with both and have not been able to stop!

How would you compare hip hop with ballet and modern? Are they at all alike?
They’re totally different in that you can do more with ballet and modern. You can express yourself, emote more and tell so many different stories within those areas than you can hip hop. Though I do see more story telling with hip hop these days.

Ballet and modern are definitely more challenging and more rewarding to me than hip hop. I still do it every now and then. It keeps me balanced. I like doing more than one genre of dance.

Did you join Alvin Ailey after you graduated?
A lot of students from my school were interested in Alvin Ailey, but I didn’t want to follow the pack. I’d been offered a job with Nashville Ballet 2, so I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to get more technique under my belt while being able to work and perform.

Oh, wow, we were neighbors! Nashville’s just two hours away. Did you love it?
I loved it. It was very rewarding for me because my ballet technique wasn’t very strong when I left high school. I was able to go there and build my technique. And on top of that, I was able to live and perform in a friendly environment. The Nashville Ballet really nurtured me as a dancer.
   
How did you know, then, that you were ready for Alvin Ailey?
That came from my mentor, Christopher Huggins. He used to dance with Alvin Ailey. He pushed me in that direction. He’s like, "They’re looking for men for the second company. This is a perfect time for you to come. This is the place you’re supposed to be."

So I auditioned in August 2007, got a fellowship, went through the fall and spring semesters, and in March 2008, Sylvia Waters and Troy Powell, the directors, asked me to join the second company, which is Ailey II.
   
How exciting!
I’ve grown so much with this company. Working with Sylvia Waters has been a true blessing to my career. This is a woman who knew and worked with Mr. Ailey. She has so much knowledge and history to pass on. She is very passionate about it, and it comes across. She really pushes the idea of being a human being first — an idea that I’ve truly fallen in love with. I’ve definitely found a home for me.

Well, Tyrone, it’s working! You’re gorgeous! Tell us about your workout routine. You’re so tall and muscular!
Dance itself is a workout. We do so much of it, especially on tour. I’m not one to workout extra. I don’t do a lot aside from dancing. I do my push ups whenever I can get them in and my crunches.

And I drive the girls crazy because I like to lift them up and swing them around when they’re least expecting it! Lifting dead weight is good for my upper body strength!

But aren’t they just tiny?
Yes. We have a lot of tiny girls.
     
How much do they weigh? Like 70 pounds?
Hum. That you can’t get out of them. But they are tiny girls!

How many push ups do you do a day?
I don’t have a set number. I just fit them in whenever I can. I prefer lifting the girls.

Hah! And how many crunches?
Actually the amount differs sometimes because I like to do crunches to the length of a song. It’s more fun that way and seems less like a workout. Some days I don’t do them at all. Which is not a good thing. I should be more consistent.

What’s your dance schedule like?
When we’re in New York, we have dance class from 10-11:30 a.m. every day, then we have rehearsals from noon until 6 p.m. We go straight through with a five-minute break every hour.

You dance six and a half hours every day?
Pretty much. Sometimes you get lucky. There will be a rehearsal you do not have to be in. That’s a very rare occasion.
     
And when you’re on tour?
When we’re on tour, we usually get into a theater around 3 p.m. and rehearse until 7 p.m., and then we do the show at 8 p.m.

So you’ve danced for four hours prior to a show? Oh Lord, child! Why? Don’t y’all know y’alls’ steps?
We know the steps. It’s just not a good idea not to touch the pieces we’re performing until the show. It does help to get used to the stage, and every day is a different day. So we have to treat it as if we’ve never done it before. Everything changes from day to day, so we try to prepare ourselves as much as possible.

And you tour twice a year?
Yes, fall and winter, and then we perform for two weeks in New York. This year it’s April 15-26.

Do you just love being in such great shape?
It is fun. It makes you feel good about yourself. It feels good to be healthy. There are certain areas where I think, oh, this could be better. But I can’t complain.
   
Do they let you eat?
We eat all the time. At least I do. I have to eat. I’m not on a diet. I don’t have the body where I have to be on a diet. I’m one of the fortunate ones. I can eat whatever.
   
I try to eat healthy. It doesn’t always work out, especially when we’re on the road and we don’t have access to everything. So I take what I can get.

What’s your favorite part of being in Ailey II?
I love the traveling most and definitely the performing. Actually, the outreach we do is my favorite thing. We go to different schools in New York and expose kids to dance. One of the most rewarding experiences for me is to get to be a teacher and pass on knowledge that’s been given to me. It makes me feel good.

Right on!
There was one instance where I had a rowdy class and I sat them down and explained, you know, dance may not be something you want to do, but what I’m teaching you can be connected to everyday life. I noticed one girl’s expression really changed. Not the whole class, but that one girl. At the end, I felt like I changed her life in a simple way.
   
What’s the most difficult part?
The actual dancing itself — the technical aspect. I have no problem learning and wanting to learn and giving back, but the technical aspect is always tough.

This is a very challenging art form. You really have to love it to do it, to get up early in the morning and you’re sore and you have to lug your suitcases around. And then at night, you have cuts on your legs from a hard day of dancing and you get in the shower and the water’s stinging. You really have to love it to do it.

Wow, I didn’t realize that such a beautiful art form is so dangerous!
What’s that saying? Beauty knows no pain! That definitely applies to dance. The good part is that you don’t notice when it happens. It’s not until you get home or hours later that you realize that you have the bumps and bruises.

One time during a show I was changing out of my costume and had blood rushing down my leg. I must have hurt myself during the performance and didn’t realize it.

Ouch! New York has so many great dance clubs. Do you ever dance just for fun?
I love to go out and dance! I know that sounds crazy because I do it all day. But the dance floor is different. There are no rules on the dance floor. No restrictions. I love to dance the way I want to dance every now and then. The dance floor is the only place where I truly dance for me.

So what’s the next step for you?
I really want to be in first company. And I want to touch on other art forms. I’d like to act a little, I’d like to sing and do some songwriting. I want to touch on some different things. I don’t know that I’ll end my career in dance.

You must have an amazing love life! You’re darling! I bet you date all the time.
No, no, I’m not dating right now. It’s hard to have a relationship when you’re always away. Most people aren’t accepting of that. A lot of people in the company do have relationships. And that works if you start your relationship before you go out on tour. Everyone else seems to be successful so far.
   
It’s been kind of hard for me to not be dating. I would like to — I would love to be in a relationship.

Oh, how sweet! Do you only date dancers?
No, I would prefer to date a "normal" person.
   
What’s wrong with dancers?
I dance all day, and I’m around dancers all day. I’d rather be around a person who has no knowledge of what I do. Someone who’s supportive of me because they care about me more than they care about my art.

And I don’t want to talk about dance all the time. I have other interests. I’d like to expose myself to other people and not feel trapped as a dancer. I definitely don’t knock dancers. They just wouldn’t be first pick.

Good to know! What’s your idea of a really great date?
I don’t think I’ve ever been on a date. I am a very simple guy. I’m not into making this really great date. That leaves room for falling for the date instead of me!
     
I like to do simple things. Really sit down and talk and get to know the person. The funny thing is, I am very shy. So I don’t do a lot of the talking, just a lot of listening. Dates can sometimes force the connection instead of letting it naturally happen.

I do believe in love at first sight.
   
Me, too. What do you like to do when you’re not dancing?
When I’m not dancing I like to relax. I get very little time to do that, so I try to get in as much as I can. I also like to go to the movies and just be with friends. I do love bowling, roller skating, watching TV and being on the Internet. I’m addicted to Facebook!

OMG, me too! Lots of Paducah folks are on Facebook. We’ll all have to friend you! Tell us what we can expect from the Ailey II performance.
You’ll definitely get a lot from it. We’re doing three pieces that were all choreographed by Alvin Ailey. A lot of his pieces are very humanized. You’ll see very different personalities on stage and you can click in on somebody and relate to it.

It’s going to be a great night. I think people who’ve never had the Ailey experience will definitely want more. He’s one of the greatest choreographers who’s ever lived.

Do you get to lift the girls?
Yes. In Streams, one of the pieces we’re doing, I lift a girl over my head and run off stage with her. It’s one of the hardest things I do.

Well Tyrone, there’s lots of gals around here who’d love you to lift them over your head and run off to New York! You’re darling!