Karilyn Ashley Surratt

Karilyn acting career began with her arts education in a gymnasium at the elementary school where her grandmother taught first grade in Tulsa, OK. She took after school ballet and tap classes for pre-schoolers, while her grandmother graded papers. Karilyn's family relocated to St. Louis, MO where she began studying with Pelagie Green Wren and Danny Clark, and studying on scholarship at Kansas City Ballet summer intensives. Lee Nolting, Artistic Director Emerita of COCAdance, saw Karilyn in her high school's performance of Once Upon A Mattress, and encouraged her to continue her dance studies, training under her instruction. Karilyn was bold in her pursuit, and began a career in dance and theatre, earning her Equity card through The Muny as a teenager. She brought her training full circle, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Oklahoma City University's School of American Dance and Arts Management with a BFA in dance performance and a minor in history. Karilyn is the first Native American Rockette, having performed 10 seasons with the famous eye high kicking line of women at Radio City Music Hall and on countless television programs including the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Emeril's Table, The Wendy Williams Show, Live With Kelly, and The Martha Stewart Show. She was the brand ambassador for the Rockettes partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line where she was featured on screen and in voiceovers promoting the partnership of both brands. Karilyn's other credits include the critically hailed West Side Story world tour (Consuelo and Anita/Rosalia understudy; Robbin's choreography), the sultry Havana soloist in Guys and Dolls at Milwaukee Rep, Virtue in Goodspeed Musical's Anything Goes, Lizzie Piper in NY TheaterWorks' Who Is Jordan Bishop, and 16 productions at The Muny. She's worked with award winning and acclaimed choreographers and directors Randy Skinner, Stephen Mear, Gemze de Lappe, Kelli Barclay, Joey McKneely, Paul Blake, Marc Bruni, and Mercedes Ellington.