Before becoming the originator of the notorious “Hot Tamale Train” from Fox Broadcasting’s So You Think You Can Dance and exciting audiences with her ballroom-dancing finesse, Mary Murphy was just another student at Ohio University.
Physical education and track is was first caught Murphy’s interest.
“I went to OU to run track. I had no intention of being a professional dancer,” Murphy said. “I majored in physical education, but when I took a dance class there and I learned more about it, I fell in love.”
After college, Murphy moved to Washington, D.C., with her husband at the time. Murphy stayed behind when he went to the Middle East for work, and she got involved with a dance studio, where she was introduced to ballroom dancing.
“Dance saved my life from an abusive relationship with my husband,” Murphy said. “Dance gave me the self-esteem and confidence I needed.”
Murphy and her husband relocated frequently to primarily remote areas, but her husband would not allow her to work.
“I had to drive to other cities to dance,” Murphy said.
Although Murphy said she was not exposed much to dance in her hometown of Canal Fulton, Ohio, and discouraged by her husband, she became an idol to many aspiring dancers.
“Her accomplishments and determination help me have the confidence to go into the professional dance world and make a name for myself,” said Alexa Baxendell, a senior studying dance. “Her success is a path for us OU dancers to follow.”
For the contestants of So You Think You Can Dance, Murphy has become not only a judge but also a mentor.
“If I had a question about my solo, what I was looking like or how I was dancing, I would always go to Mary Murphy because I knew she would always give me an honest opinion,” said Allison Holker, a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance for season two and an all-star for seasons seven and eight.
After battling cancer, Murphy has assured her fans that she will continue to be a judge on So You Think You Can Dance from here on out.
“I am cancer-free and healthy now,” Murphy said. “I would have loved to dance on the stage as a comeback story.”
tg143208@ohiou.edu
