Recently promoted to principal dancer for the Miami City Ballet, Palm Beach County native Dawn Atkins dishes on her dream role.
Professional dancer and Palm Beach County resident Dawn Atkins (@dawnatkinshilty)
Congratulations on your promotion with the Miami City Ballet. What are you most excited about in this new role? Thank you! I’m excited about the roles that come with being a principal dancer–it’s a dream come true to dance lead roles in the iconic ballets that MCB performs. The title itself gives me a huge sense of pride. Beyond that, I’m excited to be a role model to younger dancers and a positive and supportive influence in the company.
Tell me about your love of dance and what inspires you. What is your mantra? I’ve loved to dance since I was a kid. Performing on stage gives me an unrivaled sense of happiness, and I hope to give that back to the audience. I saw a quote once, “be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire,” and I really try to live by that. I’ve always set my eyes on a goal and go after it with everything I have.
You grew up in the northeast but now call Palm Beach County home. What do you love about living in South Florida? Sunshine! I love that at some point every day, the sun comes out. It quite literally brightens my day. I find a friendliness in people here in South Florida that I attribute to the sunny days and warmth.
What is your health and wellness regime like? Any tips? It’s evolved over the years to fit my needs. I do a lot of Pilates combined with strength exercises I’ve picked up over time for injury prevention. I follow a mostly plant-based diet; however, I am not a vegetarian–I enjoy a good steak and seafood often, but I just eat a lot of plants! I try hard to do a gratitude-based meditation every day, which really helps my stress levels. I use massage, acupuncture, and infrared sauna as tools to recover from hard weeks.
What is next on the horizon for you? I’m excited to keep growing and evolving as an artist. The roles and title of principal dancer will certainly continue to push me to be my best, and I’m looking forward to that. I do have my degree in business and a real estate license, but I’m not entirely sure about the route I want to take in my post-dance career. I am definitely excited for the future.
Photography by: PHOTOGRAPHED BY VICTORIYA CHUPROV
