Molly Day transitioned from performing in front of thousands at Madison Square Garden to assisting thousands of online viewers in learning to move their bodies to metal music from her apartment.
The former Knicks City Dancer is the face behind Moves With Molly, an online fitness program that incorporates music from popular artists across various genres. However, her true passion lies with metal.
She believed others would share this sentiment.
“It sounds just as danceable as a Sabrina Carpenter song to me. Whether it’s Dying Fetus or Sabrina Carpenter, I want to dance the same exact way to it. And I just knew that there had to be people that felt that same way.”
How Did Molly Become a Metal-Loving Knicks City Dancer?
A self-described “alt kid” during her childhood, Day primarily listened to Slipknot, Linkin Park, and My Chemical Romance, while also being passionate about dance.
Her love for dance took her from Connecticut to NYU, where she continued to pursue performing at a higher level. It was also where she began to conceal her “alt kid” persona from her youth.
“I kind of put that on the back burner because I just wanted to fit in.”
During this time, Day was also highly focused on auditioning to become an NBA dancer. After several auditions, she secured a spot with the Boston Celtics dance team.
However, like any industry, there are higher levels to achieve, including working your way up among NBA teams.
Day’s goal upon joining an NBA dance team was to eventually land a position with the New York Knicks, whom she regards as “the best of the best.”
“They get the best choreographers. They have the best costumes and the best dancing.”
Day spent two years performing as a Knicks City Dancer at Madison Square Garden before needing to step away. Dancing in front of large crowds became unfeasible after an eye procedure left her unable to see clearly in bright light.
With over 10 years of experience as a trainer and professional dancer, Day attempted to collaborate with various companies offering personal training. She quickly discovered that not all of them agreed with her music choices as she gradually began incorporating metal songs into her routines.
This led her to create her own program, resulting in the birth of Moves With Molly.
‘She Doesn’t Belong Here’
Moves With Molly is a fitness program that Day established on YouTube, combining her background in psychology, fitness, and dance. She views her routines, which include various types of music alongside rock and metal, as a means for individuals to move their bodies and release any repressed emotions they may have been holding onto.
The experience should resonate with anyone who has spent time at the front of a crowd at a metal concert.
“Being able to find a different way to have that outlet that isn’t just going to a concert and being in a mosh pit – it can be at your house, and it can be fun. You just turn it on and let those feelings out.”
Day quickly gained a substantial social media following, leading some metal fans to express their “feelings” in the comments on her posts.
“I think it’s more the fans that see me in my smiley, bubbly vibe and are like ‘She doesn’t belong here.’
To date, Day has created routines set to music from artists such as Bring Me the Horizon, Slipknot, Sanguisugabogg, and PeelingFlesh. She has even launched Metal Moves With Molly, a month-long program available on her YouTube channel that combines dance, sculpt, and strength classes with rock and metal music.
Despite receiving some negative comments, the overall response has been positive from those participating in Day’s program and from the bands whose music is featured in Metal Moves With Molly.
Day has already received messages from members of Sanguisugabogg and Deryck Whibley of Sum 41, expressing their appreciation. She also had the opportunity to meet Matt Heafy from Trivium, who had seen her fitness videos.
“The day after I got my braces off, so I don’t remember how old I was—like 13 or 14—I got a black eye in a pit at a Trivium concert. To be able to go and tell him that story, he was like, ‘I’m so sorry.’ And I was like ‘no, it was like a rite of passage.’
The Importance of Inclusion in Metal and Fitness
Inclusion holds significant importance for Day in both her daily life and within the scenes surrounding the music she loves. Much of this perspective was shaped by her childhood experiences.
“I’m super dyslexic and super ADHD. I had to attend a special education high school because I couldn’t read. So I feel like, in many ways—music-wise, culture-wise—being alternative and having special needs made me feel ‘othered’ throughout my life.”
She reacts negatively when someone accuses her of using metal for “clout.” Instead, she sees creating metal-inspired fitness and dance routines as a way to connect with an audience that previously may not have had an outlet—something she herself experienced as a teenager.
“I think my biggest goal is creating classes that help people feel included while also falling back in love with movement again. There was a time in all our lives when we would run around as kids without thinking about it being exercise; we were just moving our bodies and enjoying it. I want people to feel that again.”
If someone is hesitant about starting their own fitness journey, Day recommends simply moving for 30 minutes each day, regardless of how strenuous the activity may be.
She warns against turning it into a “daily grind” that requires strict scheduling.
“Unless you’re a professional athlete, that’s enough. And if I can encourage you to do that using your favorite band or song or creating an accessible seated workout for days when you may not have the energy or ability for more—that’s my biggest goal: creating a safe space and making fitness accessible because so much of it isn’t.”
If you’re interested, keep scrolling to discover your favorite rock and metal bands’ favorite NBA teams below!
Favorite NBA Teams of 35 Rock and Metal Musicians
This section showcases 35 prominent rock and metal musicians along with their favorite NBA teams.
Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll
