Dasia Darden

What companies/classes are you currently in?

I'm in Cats and Tap Cats.

When did you start at Center Stage?

I switched to CS the summer before eighth grade. Right off the bat, I was impressed. I had never been a part of something like Power Dance, so that was pretty cool.

Do you remember your first dance routine?

Ugh, the one recital DVD I don't own. I really wish I did! I got to do a pas de deux with my stepdad in a daddy daughter dance. 

What was your Center Stage journey?

I moved my way up from a Jazzcat apprentice to a Jazzcat and eventually into Cats and Tap Cats. I participated in pre-professional acting my junior year and continue to do so. No matter what I was involved in, I've had to prove myself a lot, and that has built my character tremendously.

Why has it been worth all of the energy you’ve put in to it and the sacrifices you’ve made?

I knew from six years old that I wanted to be a Rockette like my first dance teacher, Susan Sinabaldi. Being among some of the best dancers in the world meant I had to train in a setting where I was always improving. Switching studios twice was tough, but CS gave me many skill sets. Being in an environment where I wasn't the best one challenged me to progress faster and drove me to work even harder. For all the nights I chose going to dance over staying home to do homework, then getting four hours of sleep to complete it all, my college dance acceptances make it all worth it. 

Do you do other outside of school activities?

I dabble in other art forms. From time to time, I paint canvases with acrylics. I draw in my sketchbook with pencils and micron pens. I craft poems and stories in my special notebook. I'll take nature walks with friends and capture beautiful photographs. Not many people know this about me, but I also songwrite. You'll hear some of my songs on the radio one day. The arts help me express my thoughts and feelings through random bursts of creativity. 

What’s your favorite food?

I don't think I could ever live without General Tsos chicken, rice, French fries, or bread. Pick just one? Definitely French fries.

What TV Show are you embarrassed to admit you used to watch?

I watched Wow Wow Wubzy way past an acceptable age.

If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

I would want to be a bear. I don't know much about them, but unless it's hunting season, I feel like no one pays them any mind. They seem to pick and choose when they want to be seen, kinda like me. There was a bear spotting back when I was in elementary school near the town's recreational football field, but he could've stayed chilling in the woods if he wanted. I also don't like the cold, so hibernation sounds pretty dope.

If you were a circus performer, what would your special skill be?

I would be a circus trapeze artist. The thrills I'd get from timing everything perfectly would be incomparable to the excitement of any other skill.

Who are your heroes?  

Significant historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr and Leonardo da Vinci aside, I have mad respect for the people whose efforts go unacknowledged like disabled veterans, garbage collectors, and EMTs. Our lives would be so disrupted without them.

If you were crowned Queen of the World, what would your first proclamation be?

As Queen of the World, I'd declare that there must be a carbon tax on carbon usuage above an agreed upon threshold because improving our environment is important to me. Companies would make changes so they wouldn't have to pay extra and consumers would make environmentally conscious decisions too; like imagine the standard of a car being at least 540 miles per gallon.

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be?

I would love to have dinner with Leonardo da Vinci. He was such a cool dude. His contributions to art and science were incredible, but his documented humility makes him even cooler.

What’s next?

Committing to a college is the biggest task on my agenda. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I want a masters in dance education, hundreds of dance connections, and a steady fall/winter career as a Rockette. 

Will you come back to visit Center Stage, or are you gone for good when you’re out the door?

I'll come back to watch the recitals.