An accomplished dancer since she was a
toddler, King — along with her brother John — won first place at the National Ballroom Dancing Championships in San Francisco, California, when she was 14. They captured first place two more times and were also named U.S Ballroom Couple of the Year. Later, when attending the
University of New Mexico, she
majored in
recreation and
physical education and was a
cheerleader,
gymnast, and was on the
synchronized swimming team. She continued to dance in various
ballroom competitions and on stage, such as the
Six Flags Over Texas campus revue.
The Lawrence Welk Show In 1967, King became
Bobby Burgess's dance partner on
The Lawrence Welk Show when his first partner,
Barbara Boylan, left to get married. For the next dozen years, she became one of the most popular performers on the show. In 1974, she was honored with the
Dance Masters of America award for outstanding contributions to the field of dance. == Later career ==