Former Knicks City Dancer returns to Madison Square Garden

Cheryl Makin
My Central Jersey
Mar. 22, 2012

Like many little girls, Sara Reynolds had a dream of tutus, plies and grand jetes when she grew up. Only unlike many, Reynolds turned that dream into a reality, both professionally and personally.

The co-owner of Across The Floor, a dance studio with locations in Woodbridge and New Providence, Reynolds spent two seasons dancing professionally as a Knicks City Dancer at Madison Square Garden. On Saturday, Reynolds again will take the court at halftime as the Knicks City Dancers celebrate their 20th anniversary.

“I am fortunate. I was able to make the little girl’s dream of doing dance come true,” said Reynolds, 41. “In fact, our very first recital was called ‘Dreams become Reality.’ ”

Reynolds juggled growing her business, which opened in 1996, with rehearsals two or three times per week and Knicks home-game performances two or three times per week.

“Practices would start before the season started, and then after the regular season, there were playoff games. Even after that, we would dance for the WNBA Liberty team during their season,” said Reynolds, who participated during the 1997-1998 and 1999-2000 seasons. “Being a Knicks City Dancer was an amazing experience. It’s where I got my feet wet. We were like mini celebrities. It was a fantastic experience where I got to work with all different choreographers and people in the industry.”

Reynolds, who now lives in Union, credits the support of her best friend and studio co-owner, Cheryl Corej, as a huge factor in realizing her dream.

“She let me go off and audition and dance professionally,” said Reynolds, who first met Corej as 4-year-olds in dance class. “She held it together here while I was out auditioning and out there dancing. I always wanted to have the studio and have a dance career. It is because of her I was able to do both.”

Reynolds and Corej started as toddlers at Miss Ruth’s School of Dance, a Woodbridge staple until it closed a year ago after 40 years.

“Cheryl is like my sister. We have always been together. We have been friends since we were 4 years old,” Reynolds said. “We grew up together in dance and built on that friendship and our love of dance. In college, we both taught at Miss Ruth’s. I became a nurse, which comes in handy when at a dance studio. Then we opened our school and got rid of other career jobs and made this our career.”

As a dancer, Reynolds said, her forte is ballet, which is the “foundation for all dance.”

“My professional career was not in ballet, though,” Reynolds said. “That was more jazz, hip-hop and contemporary dance.”

On Saturday, Reynolds and about 29 other former Knicks City Dancers will perform a three-minute hip-hop dance routine to a mash-up of Rob Base’s “Joy and Pain” and “It Takes Two.” Only 30 of more than 110 Knicks City Dancers alumni have been chosen to perform at the anniversary celebration game, which also features the Knicks hosting the Detroit Pistons.

“I am really very excited. I’m pumped about it,” Reynolds said. “It’s been really great. The dancer who teaches us the routine was my captain when I was on the team. It’s so interesting to come back and see where everybody is in life — all the different places. We started rehearsals, and it went very well. I have to say I don’t see much difference between us and the current Knicks City Dancers.”

This is not Reynolds’ first time back on court to dance. Last week, she was asked to perform a salsa routine during a Knicks halftime show.

“That was my first time back in about 12 years,” Reynolds said. “It was exciting. I was curious to see all the slight changes in the arena. And the experience was very different because I was performing a different kind of dance.”

Keeping dance in the family, Reynolds’ mother, Soledad Reynolds, recently auditioned for and made the senior dance team for the WNBA Liberty.

“We are very happy for her. She auditioned for the Liberty Timeless Torches, which is a dance team for women 40 and over,” Reynolds said. “We just found out she made it a couple days ago. I guess it runs in the family.”

The next generation already is putting on ballet slippers. Reynolds’ daughter, Leilani Wiggins, 4, is at home on the dance floor.

“She is always here,” Reynolds said with a laugh. “What choice does she have? She is in four ballet, one tap and two gymnastics classes and will be in about nine routines at the recital.

“Dancing keeps you young,” added Reynolds, who no longer dances professionally. “I’ll always dance.”