MILTON, Ga. — Since Parker Burks could walk, she has been twirling and dancing her way through life. Now an 8th Grader at King’s Ridge Christian School, Parker has earned a long list of accolades in her decade long dance career.

Parker dances for RISPA and is a member of the ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, acro, hip hop, and musical theatre companies. This summer she participated in Broadway Dreams in both Atlanta and Philadelphia. 

“The motto I strive to live by is, “hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard,” says Parker.

“In 4th grade, I was in a lyrical class with mostly older girls,” says Parker. “I was not up to their skill level and I was taken out of a portion of the dance as the competition approached. That moment set off a fire within me. I decided right then that I would not feel sorry for myself, but instead put in the work to become the best version of myself on and off the stage that I could be.”

Since that moment, Parker’s hard work has paid off. She was awarded Access Broadway Best Junior Dancer 2020, Access Broadway Broadway Star Winner 2020 and 2021, Jump Dance Competition Lyrical, Ballet, and Contemporary Scholarship Winner 2020, Access Broadway All Star Dancer Title Winner 2021, ASH Convention Featured Dancer 2021, and ASH Convention Best in Show “Most Entertaining” recipient 2021, among many others.

Parker credits her teachers, Jasmine Roberts and Brittany Maxwell, for instilling in her a passion for dance.

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