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Principal

Dawn Atkins

Hometown: Middle Town Springs, Vermont

Dawn Atkins began her dance training in Rutland, Vermont and upon moving to Virginia, continued her dance training with The School of Richmond Ballet.  She attended North Carolina School of the Arts on scholarship, under the direction of Ethan Stiefel.  Dawn joined Boston Ballet School as a trainee in 2011 and Boston Ballet II in 2012. In 2013, she was a Princess Grace Award nominee and was promoted to Artist of the Company. Dawn was promoted to Second Soloist at Boston Ballet in 2019. She joined Miami City Ballet as soloist in 2021. Atkins was promoted to the rank of principal soloist in 2022. In 2023, Dawn was promoted to Principal dancer.

Dawn’s many leading roles include Odette / Odile in Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake, Perrot/Coralli’s Giselle (Myrtha), Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Crystal Fountain Fairy), George Balanchine’s Agon, The Prodigal Son (Siren), Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.2, Rubies (Tall Girl), Episodes (Principal), Coppelia (Dawn), Chaccone (Pas de Trois), Theme and Variations, Diamonds (Principal), Symphony in Three Movements, and Stravinsky Violin Concerto; William Forsythe’s The Second Detail, Pas / Parts 2018, Blake Works, Playlist (EP), and In The Middle Somewhat Elevated, Jerome Robbins’ Interplay, Fancy Free, The Concert and Glass Pieces, August Bournonville’s Pas De Six; Jorma Elo’s Bach Cello Suites, Carmen, Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius, and Lost by Last; Justin Peck’s In Creases (pas de deux), Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker (Dewdrop, Snow Queen) and Swan Lake, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Summer Fairy), and Pas de Quatre by Leonid Yakobso, among others.

Roles since joining MCB

George Balanchine
Agon (Pas De Deux couple)
Diamonds (Principal couple)
Divertimento No. 15
George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® (Sugar Plum Fairy)
Prodigal Son (Siren)
Symphony in Three Movements (Pas De Deux Couple)

George Balanchine / Jerome Robbins
Firebird

Martha Graham
Diversion of Angels

Alonzo King
Following the Subtle Current Upstream (Pas De Deux couple, Moon solo)

Alexei Ratmansky
Concerto DSCH (Pas De Deux couple)
Swan Lake (Odette / Odile)

Jerome Robbins
Afternoon of a Faun
West Side Story Suite

Twyla Tharp
In the Upper Room