By Hannah Deadman
From the time she was 8 years old, Dawn Atkins knew she wanted to dance ballet.
Now at age 29, she’s one of Miami City Ballet’s newest principal dancers — the highest rank a dancer can earn in a professional company.
Atkins grew up in small-town Vermont. Although her early childhood in Middletown Springs wasn’t filled with the arts, her parents enrolled Atkins and her sister in different activities, encouraging them to figure out what they liked.
“I really wanted to do ballet,” Atkins chuckles over the phone. “I don’t know how I got that idea — we never went to the ballet — but I kept asking to do ballet classes. Finally, [my mom] signed me up when I was 8.”
Atkins began her training in Rutland, Vt. She continued her training at the School of Richmond Ballet, followed by the North Carolina School of the Arts, under the direction of Ethan Stiefel.
She then joined Boston Ballet School as a trainee in 2011 and Boston Ballet II in 2012. In 2013, Atkins was a Princess Grace Award nominee and was promoted to Artist of the Company. She was promoted to second soloist at Boston Ballet in 2019.
But Atkins had her eye on MCB, especially after learning about its esteemed artistic director, Lourdes Lopez.
“She was so eloquent and well-spoken; I like the rep she brings to the company,” Atkins explains. “Miami City Ballet was on my radar, but I’m not big on change.”
But change was inevitable, and it’s been a recurring theme in Atkins’ dance career. Her husband Edsall landed a career opportunity in South Florida in the spring of 2020. But it would be another year and a half before Atkins joined Miami City Ballet.
“It’s really hard in the ballet world — it’s not as straightforward as finding another job,” Atkins says. “You have to be there at the right time and place. The first time I sent my audition material, [MCB] wasn’t hiring. The next time I sent it, Lourdes invited me to audition that week. Everything was leading us in that direction.”
She credits her husband’s job opportunity as the push she needed to leave Boston. They now live in Palm Beach County with their two dogs.
Atkins joined MCB in 2021 as a soloist and rose through the ranks in record time. She was promoted to principal soloist in 2022.
During Miami City Ballet’s 2022-23 season, Atkins performed a variety of featured roles, including Balanchine’s “Diamonds” from Jewels, Symphony in Three Movements; Jerome Robbins’ Antique Epigraphs and Afternoon of a Faun; and Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels. Other repertoire includes William Forsythe’s The Second Detail, the Crystal Fountain Fairy in Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, and more.
After a performance of Diversion of Angels in February 2023, Atkins was promoted to principal.
“I was overwhelmed with gratitude,” she recalls. “It kind of felt surreal. It’s something you dream of and work for. Since age 8 I wanted to be a principal dancer. There was so much attention focused on that — I never imagined the moment I would get there.”
You can hear the smile in her voice.
“[Lourdes] came up and told us good job, but generally, we have notes at the end [of the performance],” she says. “We’d done this [piece] before, but she hugged me and held my hand. And she just said the word: Principal.”
With the curtain already down, Atkins celebrated on stage — sharing the intimate moment alongside her peers.
“I remember I hugged every single person,” she laughs. “People I knew in the audience said they could hear cheering [backstage]. I’m grateful for how Lourdes promoted me — she’s very thoughtful in moments like that. It was a moment I’ll love and hold close forever.”
Since the promotion, Atkins has taken on other lead roles, including Dew Drop and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts earlier this month.
“I always try to be myself, even when I play characters,” she explains. “I’ll ask, ‘How would I do it if I were that character? How should I [dance] in this style?’”
Watching Atkins dance, it’s clear her electrifying movement helped her earn that coveted rank. She effortlessly combines fluidity with power. Her artistry is captivating. And she instills her approachable personality into her performances — making viewers feel like maybe, just maybe, they can talk to the Sugar Plum Fairy.
“People tell me I look strong. And my husband will do this horrible port de bras [a movement of the arms in ballet] — and say I’m smooth and fluid,” she starts laughing. “I think I’m strong, so I like that that’s conveyed. And, I’m easy to talk to and be around. I think that’s cool that there’s a softness that comes to it.”
Others, like those at the San Francisco Classical Voice, agree — hailing Atkins for her “great poise, aplomb, marvelous extensions, and an unexpected durability beneath all that grace.”
Atkins says one reason she loves MCB is the company’s dynamic repertoire. She’s also grateful for the company’s supportive culture — something that can be challenging to find in the ballet world.
“I’m fortunate to be surrounded by great people and coaches,” Atkins says. “The industry is competitive, but it genuinely feels like we want everyone to succeed and we’ve found that balance. I feel like it’s my place.”
Now that Atkins has earned a top spot in the company, she’s inspired to challenge herself in new ways.
“I always worked toward getting principal, but never pictured that part of my career and what you do [afterward],” she says. “Now, it feels like there’s room for a lot more play. How much can I improve? How far can I take it? How good can I get?”
Luckily, Atkins has plenty of time to stretch her artistry. Her day begins with a technique class at 10 a.m., followed by a six-hour rehearsal with a lunch break. Sometimes, they’ll rehearse one ballet the whole time. Other times, they’ll work on multiple pieces.
“We work really hard but we laugh a lot, even in the 5-minute breaks,” she explains. “That helps make our work better because we’re not taking ourselves too seriously — but we’re positive [during] the pursuit of excellence.”
She bolsters her training with a commitment to whole-body nutrition and wellness.
“Taking care of your body is so important,” Atkins shares. “I feel the best when I focus on getting as many plants in my diet as possible — the more nutrients the better!”
Even at her strongest, she does acupuncture for restorative treatment and Pilates to strengthen muscles and help with injuries.
“Strength is so important; it’s easy to fall out of those habits — but you need to maintain strength,” she says, adding that she gives herself grace. “I’m working hard and pushing every day, but I know some days will be less than perfect.”
She also prioritizes her mental health. Her family and dogs — Duke, a 5-year-old golden retriever, and Chappie, an 8-year-old Boston terrier/pug mix — keep her grounded.
“As an artist, you’re always working and getting critiqued,” Atkins says. “That’s how it works — same with athletes and coaches — because it makes you better. You also have your own critiques, so you’re always battling that mindset. It’s easy to get wrapped up in that, so I try to focus on my dogs. There’s more to life.”
Atkins learned that hard lesson after sustaining a serious, career-threatening knee injury in 2015.
“This concept is something I started coming to terms with, even before the pandemic,” she recalls. “I realized my career could be over.”
During those eight months of recovery, she asked herself: Who was she, beyond ballet?
“Someone asked what my hobbies were, and I couldn’t answer,” she laughs. “I said, ‘My hobby is to do ballet!’ It made me realize I never focused on developing that other side of myself. I love animals, so I got a dog. I focused on building my relationships with friends.”
During her injury recovery, Atkins also went to school. In 2020, she graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s in business management. She is also a licensed Realtor in Massachusetts.
“My golden retriever loves me whether I do a triple pirouette or not,” she says. “Being a dancer is a huge part of your identity, but it’s not every facet of you. You’re a whole person.”
You can see Atkins perform in The Nutcracker at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts from Dec. 28-30. For more information or to get tickets, visit kravis.org.