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Born for the Stage
It’s not a stretch to say Avilon Tate was born for the stage.
“I started dancing with my mom’s dance studio as a baby, and I made my way to signing and acting. My first theatre show was the Wizard of Oz when I was three,” said Tate.
Tate continues to perform with his mom’s studio, The Pointe! Studio of Dance, but he doesn’t stop there. He also works with the Community Theatre of Greensboro (CTG) and Grimsley High School.
“With CTG, I recently did ‘Memphis,’ and before that I did ‘Newsies’ with them, ‘The Lion King,’ ‘Dr. Doolittle’ and ‘Shrek’,” said Tate. “My mom’s studio has put on a bunch of performances that are all dancing and pantomime, like ‘The Wiz,’ ‘Annie,’ ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Prince of Egypt’ and ‘The Lion King.’”
With all of his commitments, Tate needed to learn how to manage his time in order to stay on top of his schoolwork.
“It really is hard,” he said. “Usually classes let you spend time on your work, and I would try to finish homework at school or when I got home from rehearsal at nine or ten at night, or I would wake up early in the morning to finish. A calendar planner is my best friend.”
With his theatre experience, Tate had a lot of options when it came to where he wanted to go to high school. In the end, he chose Grimsley, a traditional high school.
“I went to Grimsley to tour the school,” remembered Tate. “It’s a big campus and they have a lot going on. I did some research and chose them because I knew they had theatre and show choir, and on top of that, Grimsley is one of the top schools in the county. It seemed like the best fit for me.”
Tate said Grimsley didn’t disappoint, allowing him to work on his craft.
“I’ve been doing plays with Mr. Ringrose since I was a freshman. He’s a great teacher, and it’s really like a big family,” said Tate. “I’m also in show choir with Mr. Johnson. It is really singing and dancing without the acting. So, at Grimsley, I got all three and it allowed me to be a more rounded artist.”
“I could write a book about how amazing this young man is and what he has meant to our school,” said Marshall Johnson, choral teacher at Grimsley “I am so grateful I was the guy who got to be his teacher while he was here. Remember the name Avilon Tate. One day we'll all be able to say, ‘We knew him when...’”
Tate says he is grateful for his family’s support, and excited for his next step. He will attend UNC-Greensboro in the fall to study musical theatre.
“I can already tell it will be awesome,” said Tate. “You have directors there that worked with people on Broadway and they are really experienced.”
While he is excited to start college, Tate encourages all incoming freshman to enjoy their time in high school.
“High school went by so quickly,” said Tate. “I would say cherish it all. Thank your teachers, have a good relationship with them and get involved in your school. Go to football games, like the Grimsley vs. Page game, and live in that moment. You don’t want to leave high school without any memories.”