Molly Day went from dancing in front of thousands at Madison Square Garden to helping thousands of internet viewers learn to move their own bodies to metal music from the comfort of her apartment. The former Knicks City Dancer is the personality behind Moves With Molly, an online fitness program that incorporates music from popular artists across all genres, though metal remains her true passion.
“It sounds just as danceable as a Sabrina Carpenter song to me,” Day explains. “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.”
Becoming a Metal-Loving Dancer
A self-described “alt kid” growing up, Day found herself listening to Slipknot, Linkin Park, and My Chemical Romance while pursuing dance. Her passion eventually took her from Connecticut to NYU, where she began to hide her alternative interests to better fit into the professional dance world. After landing a spot with the Boston Celtics dance team, she eventually achieved her goal of becoming a Knicks City Dancer, performing at the highest level of the NBA.
However, an eye procedure that left her sensitive to bright lights forced her to step away from the arena. After struggling to find a place in the traditional personal training industry—where her penchant for slipping metal tracks into routines was often met with resistance—she decided to launch her own platform.
Creating a Safe Space for Movement
Moves With Molly combines Day’s background in psychology, fitness, and dance. She views her routines as a vital outlet for people to release repressed emotions. “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,” she says.
Despite some initial pushback from metal purists who felt she didn’t “belong” in the scene, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Day has received support from bands like Sanguisugabogg and Trivium, with frontman Matt Heafy even bonding with her over shared concert experiences. For Day, the mission is simple: inclusion. “I think my biggest thing is making classes that help people feel included and then also fall in love with moving again,” she notes. By making fitness accessible and removing the pressure of a “daily grind,” she hopes to help others find the same joy in movement that she has discovered through the power of metal.
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