Claire Yvonne King (born January 3, 1946) professionally Cissy King, is an American-born singer and dancer best known as a featured performer on ''
The Lawrence Welk Show'' television program.
King was born in
Trinidad, Colorado. Her father was a geologist employed by an oil company. The family relocated to
Albuquerque,
New Mexico when Cissy was three.
An accomplished dancer since she was a
toddler, Cissy, along with her brother John, won first place at the National Ballroom Dancing Championships in San Francisco, California when she was 14. They captured first place two more times and were also named U.S Ballroom Couple of the Year. Later, when attending the
University of New Mexico, she
majored in
recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...
and
physical education and was a
cheerleader
Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...
,
gymnast, and was on the
synchronised swimming team. She continued to dance, in various
ballroom
A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic man ...
competitions and on stage such as the
Six Flags Over Texas campus revue.
In 1967, Cissy became
Bobby Burgess's dance partner on ''
The Lawrence Welk Show'' when his first partner,
Barbara Boylan
Barbara Boylan (born in Long Beach, California) is an American dancer and former television personality who was featured on ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1961 to 1967, and briefly for a few months in 1979.
She was the first of Bobby Burgess's ...
, left to get married. For the next dozen years, she became one of the most popular performers on the show with her vivacious personality, singing talents and her natural dance moves. In 1974, she was honored with the
Dance Masters of America award for outstanding contributions to the field of dance.
After leaving the show in late 1978, she continued to perform, dancing for several years with her own solo act "Two Fellows"; and acting in the
Broadway touring production of ''Always Patsy''.
Today, King lives in
Albuquerque, where she continues to dance, and is active in creating new shows in major venues across her home state.
References
External links
Stars of the Lawrence Welk Show*
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Cissy
1946 births
American female dancers
Dancers from Colorado
Living people
University of New Mexico alumni
Musicians from Albuquerque, New Mexico
People from Trinidad, Colorado
American women singers
American television actresses
Lawrence Welk