Tonya Kay

Tonya Kay
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Nationality	American
Occupation	actress; dancer; model; freelance writer; nutritionist; performance artist
Years active	1982–present
Agent	Clear Talent Group; CTG – Adult Theatrical Commercial Talent Agency Kazarian Spencer Ruskin Equity Shirley Hamilton Agency Talent Ink. LA-NY
Home town	Michigan
Political movement	raw foods vegan; environmentally green
Religion	Pagan; Chaote
Website
http://www.tonyakay.com

Tonya Kay is an American actress, television personality, and performance artist appearing in independent films and episodic television. Her background includes performing stunts and what she refers to as "danger arts", which consist of knife throwing and whip cracking. She also has a background in modeling, dance choreography, stage performance, and freelance writing.^[1]

Kay may be best known for playing the lead comedic role, I Rock, in Bold Native,^[2] the first fictional film about the Animal Liberation Front; and starring as the royal nasty, Princess Peach in Comedy Central's "Video Game Reunion".

She is additionally known for participating as a contestant on NBC's America's Got Talent show, having reached the semi-finals featuring her fire poi solo with Trey Knight's Stilt World dance company.^[3] She also appeared as a contestant on five episodes of Sci-Fi's Who Wants to Be a Superhero?.^[4]

Her guest appearances on American network television programs include Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, House M.D., and Glee. Kay stars as herself, a pagan superhero, in Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose comic book series developed by Jim Balent, who describes Kay as "probably the most dangerous actress in Hollywood today".^[5][6]

Personal background

Tonya Kay was born in southern Michigan. While graduating valedictorian of her high school class, she chose not to continue with traditional education.^[7] Kay is a practicing raw vegan, pagan and Chaote, and shares her interests on health, nutrition, and spiritual pursuits on her websites through a variety of interviews and published works.^[7]

Professional background

Early career

At age four, Kay was enrolled by her mother in tap dance classes. By age six, she was performing in a local community theatre production of the musical Oliver!.^[7] At 15, she was cast in her first professional production, The Music Man at Detroit, Michigan's Fisher Theatre.^[7]

Overview

Kay is a television character actress, dancer, model, and vocalist. Kay performs her own stunts, which include whip cracking, knife throwing, stilt dancing, flag and fire dance. Her stunt performances have been used in film productions, as well as in live freak show, burlesque, Vaudeville, and cabaret performances. She served as an aerial stunt trainee in Las Vegas' De La Guarda.^{[citation needed]}

She spent four years performing in Chicago theatres, including the Drury Lane Theatre, Peninsula Players, Theatre at the Centre, Theatre Building Chicago and Apollo Theater Chicago.^{[citation needed]} In New York City, she performed in concert dance companies and experimental theatre, booking the aerial show, De La Guarda, and eventually toured with the dance troupe, Stomp.^{[citation needed]}

Choreography and dance

Kay's choreography and stunt consultant credits include appearing on FOX Television's series Bones; tap choreography for the film Pais De Trois; burlesque choreography on Comedy Central's Secret Girlfriend, secondary choreography on Showtime's Live Nude Comedy, and rhythm choreography in Perkin's "Seafood STOMP" commercial and choreography for 3OH!3 Double Vision music video.^{[citation needed]}

While Kay has performed her stilt dancing during the Krassimir Avramov Opera Concert at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]} She also combines her danger arts and specialties with burlesque solos, performing live with the following companies.

Instructional videos

Kay's instructional hosting credits include over 200 episodic videos available through the Answer4Dancers.com website. She may be best known for participating in the 48 Pros Tell You Everything They Know About the Job Game video series.^[8]

I personally became addicted to poi as a dance form at a pagan festival in Indiana, 2002. A group of grungy young witches pulled me into their private circle and left my jaw agape as I beheld the dangerous and sensual circles of fire they spun in intricate patterns around their muscular bodies. Immediately I began practicing the technique of spinning poi and as a professional dancer, noticed right away a new power in my body's core and a noteworthy definition of my deltoids and upper back. To my delight, the act of spinning weighted circles around oneself not only creates a space in which, while the body is fully engaged, the mind is lulled into meditative trance, but also is just so much genuine fun, I don't even realize I've "worked out".^[9]

—Tonya Kay

Music video appearances

Modeling

Kay's modeling work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Spin Magazine, TV Guide, and National Geographic. Kay also models with fellow vegetarian, Russell Brand on the cover of the soundtrack developed for the fictional character Aldous Snow (lead singer of the fictional band Infant Sorrow), from the movie Get Him to the Greek. Her modeling work is featured on the cover of Lou Barlow's True Nature Feels Like Centuries album.^[10][11]

Kay appears in Nike's "Colors" national ad campaign and in Equinox Gym's national billboard campaign launched in January 2010. She has also worked with photographers Glen Wexler, Peter Randolph and Jasper Johal, who is a prominent professional photographer known for his black and white nudes of yogis and dancers.^{[citation needed]}

Television roles and appearances

Television roles

Television stunt performance and appearances

Kay's stunt performances have been featured side by side with Ellen DeGeneres,^{[citation needed]} William Shatner,^{[citation needed]} Margaret Cho,^{[citation needed]} and Harry Anderson.^{[citation needed]} In July 2001, Kay wrote and directed Xtreme Rhythm Theatre, an all-rhythm production based on her experiences as a young woman living in New York City.^{[citation needed]}

Film roles

Companies owned

Tonya Kay is a committed environmentalist and is CEO of two environmentally green companies that supply food for movie sets: Happy Mandible and Solid Hollywood LLC.^{[12] [13] [14]} Her car, a 1965 Riviera called the "Grape Space Coaster," has a long and meticulously detailed history.^[15] Many of Tonya's vehicles run on used vegetable oil, and she tinkers with her cars herself. ^[16]

Published works

• Kay, Tonya. "Serious About Play: Athletic Training Tips", Organic Athlete (2004)
• Kay, Tonya. "Eden's Apple", Funky Raw Living, Salt Lake City, Issue 5, 2006.
• Kay, Tonya. "Living Cuisine Cafe", Funky Raw Living, Salt Lake City, Issue 9, 2007.
• Kay, Tonya and Joanna Steven. Raw Nutritional Analysis: A Month on Tonya Kay's Autumn Diet (2008)
• Kay, Tonya and Joanna Steven. Raw Nutritional Analysis ll: Spring Athlete's Diet (2009)

References

External links

• IMDb: Tonya Kay
• Official Tonya Kay Website
• Official Nutritional Education Website