you can because you think y...

you can because you think y...

 

  

  A frequent conversation with several students during my Encore Performance days dealt with the attributes of bypassing college if he or she was interested in some kind of service work, or, something equally brainy and just as hands on.  Conservatively, over the span of 17 years, there were at least a dozen such one on ones.

  But, there was only one time a student walked into my office, sat down, and told me she didn't know what to do because she wanted to skip college and be a professional dancer.  

  HUH?  What's up with that?  

  Valerie Rockey is the youngest of three siblings and is now 27 years old.  Brothers Ben and Tommy are 32 and 29 respectively.  

  The entire family is a creative and talented group.  The patriarch, John, probably missed his calling as a standup comedian.  John's wife, Debbie, is an amazing artist.  Oldest son, Ben, may have been one of the most all around talented kids in my program, plus an A student.  Tommy was an athlete as well as an outstanding student.  All three siblings went through my program during their high school careers.  

  I do remember going into your office and talking about it, she exclaimed!  I actually felt like I had to go to college since that's what everyone did.  So, I went to Indiana University for one year.  It was pretty soon into my freshman year I knew I wanted to take a different path.  

  So, you stayed at IU one year.  

  Yes, I did, but I had pretty much decided by mid year I was done after the first year, she said.  I was a social butterfly and the thought of college my senior year of high school was more exciting than anything.   

  Did you ever imagine yourself a finalist on a TV reality show? 

  No, never.  Who would even think that, she asked? 

  You danced all through high school.  When did you have your first dance lesson? 

  It was back in 1998 right before I turned four years old, she recalled.  I joined halfway through the dance year and my mom had to make my first costume because they had already bought costumes for the recital by the time I joined.  

  What kind of dancing do you do or specialize? 

  My speciality is definitely tap, she smiled.  I love many different styles including jazz, lyrical, ballet, hip hop, but tap has always had my heart.  

  So, midway through your first year of college, you decided to go to California.  

  Yes, I did, she mused.  Through some dance mentors of mine, I learned about a program that helped transition students from the studio life to the professional world.   

  Did you have anything in place like where you would stay and how you would support yourself? 

  I met a girl who was also in the program and we got an apartment together, Valerie said.  We found a place on Craig's List.  Looking back now, that really seems risky, but it all worked out.  

  What's something that happened to you when you first moved out west that was totally unexpected? 

  This is funny now, but at the time, it was awful...we got bed bugs, she exclaimed.  I never imagined that happening to me!  It was just AWFUL!

  Did you sign up at a dance studio when you got there? 

  As a professional, you don't necessarily commit to one studio, she informed me.  There are pro studios where top industry choreographers teach and that's where I'll train.  Some of the studios didn't make it through Covid.   

  How long were you in the Golden State before you tried out for So You Think You Can Dance in 2014? 

  I tried out for SYTYCD as my first-ever audition about seven months after I got here, she proclaimed.  It was on a whim and super not planned.  I still can't believe I even got on the show let alone made it to the end!

  How did that audition come about?  What happened that you even tried out for the show? 

  My dance teacher from Indiana texted me that auditions were going to be held in LA the next day, she remembered.  At the time, I was working at Bath and Body Works and just happened to have the next day off.  I almost talked myself out of it, but thank goodness I didn't.  

  Okay, you went through the audition.  Then what?  When did you find out you made the cut and were going to be on the show?

  I made it to call back week during the second day of auditions, she said proudly.  At call back week, I found out I was Top 30.  Then, it was a matter of waiting for a phone call to find out if I made the show or not.  

  Waiting for that final call had to be a test of nerves.

  It sure was.  I found out in late April that I had made the show, she said.  I knew the producer was going to call that day and I literally waited in my apartment staring at the phone all day.  

  Can you describe your emotions the first time you appeared on So You Think You Can Dance?

  I hardly remember it, she reminisced.  It happened so fast and the adrenaline was like nothing you could imagine.  Knowing that thousands of people were watching was just terrifying, but at the same time, I was so overwhelmed with excitement I didn't even think about that.  

   Did your confidence grow each week you survived and advanced to the next week?

  NO, she asserted!  I thought I was going home every week.  I've never been the most confident person, so I would prepare myself mentally every week.  

  Did anything weird happen to you during the taping of any week's show?

  I wouldn't call this weird, but it was crazy, she recalled.  During the first week, I had to learn a tap dance that utilized a stairway, and during week two, my knees were so full of fluid and sore that I couldn't walk.  The morning of the second taping, I had to go to the hospital. 

  Have you become friends with anyone particular on the show?

  Oh, absolutely, she blurted.  Our whole season was a family.  I became super close to several, especially on tour.  I also dated one of the contestants during the tour as well.  I stay in touch with a lot of them.

  Okay, it's the last week of competition and you know you are going to either win or be First Runner-Up. What did that feel like that night as you were competing? 

  I was just so grateful for the whole experience, Valerie said.  My partner and I were super close and it was so emotional for both of us.  I really did not want to win because I was nervous of how social media would treat me if Ricky didn't win.  

  Since the show ended, what have you been doing?  Would you like to be in movies or on Broadway?

  I've been acting for some years now, she stated, so I would love to be in a movie.  I'd also like to be the lead in a television show.  I've appeared on The Ellen Show, Disney's Bunk'd, Penny Dreadful, City of Angels, Hulu's Light as a Feather, Nickelodeon's All That, and a few others.  

  Will you stay in California for the foreseeable future?

  I will for a while longer, she responded.  I love the lifestyle, opportunities, and weather.  There's a lot I don't like about living here too.  

  You recently became engaged.

  Yes, and I was in complete shock when he proposed, she admitted.  Obviously, I knew we would get married, but in that moment, I did not expect him to get on one knee and ask me to marry him.  I am so excited! 

  10 years from now, what will Valerie Rockey be doing?

  That's a great question, she declared.  I just don't know.  My life has gone in directions I'd never imagined, so hopefully, I keep growing from here.  I definitely see myself married with a family.  I will be working and I will always teach tap.  I also want to be successful as an actress and I want to continue my dance career.  

  That's quite a wish list.  

  If it all happens, I will have been a very fortunate person, she surmised.  

  Coming up: meet some more POS; hear from the couple who dress the imitators, and; meet a high school track star who made history.

  And finally, American dancer and actor Gene Kelly once said, I took it as it came and it happened to be very nice. 

  

  So far, American dancer and actress Valerie Rockey could say the same thing.

  We wish her stardom and continued success.  

  HUH?  What's up with that?