Kanyen Rose and her mother Misty Mouseaux Begay catch a cuddle after dance class.
A tiny rising star in Rapid City
By Christina Rose
Native Sun News, Staff writer RAPID CITY - Whether there is music playing or not, Kanyen Rose Mousseaux Begay hears it in her head and her happy feet can’t help but move. A very accomplished eight-year-old, Kanyen was a Little Miss Rapid City Runner-up and was on the robotics team through the American Indian Engineering and Science Association that went to State Championships. She has also appeared in a commercial and infomercial for J1 Insoles, which was her first, but not likely to be her last, paying gig as a dancer. Her mother Misty Mousseaux Begay, originally from Porcupine, and her dad, Aaron Begay from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, said that Kanyen started dancing in a studio when she was just three years old, but they knew before then that she was going to be a dancer. “We knew when she was really little,” her mother said. With a typically toothy eight-year-old grin, Kanyen said, “I think my mom saw that I was always dancing; in the car, in the stores, in the hallways at school. When I am in a store they always ask me if they should move the tables so I could have more room to dance.” When Kanyen is standing in the middle of all the other girls in the dance studio she looks just like any other little girl. But once the beat starts pumping, the music seems to take over and she transforms into a highly-trained, agile, energized, little dance star. Kanyen danced in her early years at another studio, and joined Stretch Studio about two years ago. She now dances from four to eight hours a week, and is part of the studio’s Dance Troupe. Her current teacher Teresa Gonzalez said, “She just jumped right in. She has a lot of style and a playful, genuine energy. Her training was very authentic, and that comes through, but she has her own style.” For the J1 Insoles commercial, Kanyen was selected from a number of dance students that auditioned. “A producer came in and watched all the kids dance and she was cast,” Misty explained with a smile that showed both amazement and pride. Describing her daughter, she said, “She has never been shy, and I like that.” As if to prove it, Kanyen was happy to bust a move on the sidewalk in front of the studio the instant she was asked. Walking out to the car, she danced all the way to the street. Kenyan said that the majority of her energy comes from dancing and that her parents keep her off junk food. “Working out a lot helps me get into the groove,” Kanyen said. Her mother counted off all of the other activities Kanyen enjoys including, “Basketball, baseball, and last summer she asked to start playing golf.” Hugging her mother while teasing her, Kanyen said, “Sometimes I have to force my mom to go biking.” (Contact Christina Rose at christinarose.sd@gmail.com) Copyright permission by Native Sun News
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