Dance is not just an art… It is a feeling of soaring like never before. A journey of self-discovery, tireless perseverance, and achieving one’s true physical potential. Emily Atkinson, a twenty-three-year-old Windham native, is living out her dream as a professional dancer in New York City, becoming the figure of every young dancer’s aspirations. They say it’s impossible to become your hero, but Emily’s passion for dance might just be testing those boundaries.

First stepping into the shoes of a dancer at age four, Emily quickly fell in love with this form of expression, thanks to her mother, who signed her up alongside the other neighborhood children. Never yielding to a rigorous task, Emily quickly took up dance and gymnastics, yet faced a difficult crossroads at age seven. Given the choice between the gymnastics and competitive dance teams, she ultimately chose dance at Melissa Hoffman Dance Center, with her parents supporting her every step of the way. Little did she know this key moment would define the foundation for her future.

After competing for the next three years, Emily finally got her moment in the spotlight at age ten. Performing her first solo dance, she eagerly awaited this day alongside her peers and, despite backstage nerves, courageously stepped into the leading role. Guided by her passion for the craft, her nerves quickly dissipated the moment the music began, as she performed at a level ahead of her time. By age twelve, Emily had already joined the senior-level dance team, competing alongside high school students in her first time away from her childhood dance friends. Thriving in this new environment, she mastered two more solos by age thirteen, while simultaneously channeling her ambition toward a new sport, tumbling.

Fearlessly meeting this challenge head-on, Emily loved pushing the limit of her skills, attempting every new trick that her mind could invent. Through endless backhandsprings, she always worked to conquer her personal best. However, it is this fearlessness that eventually propelled her too far.

On her February vacation, she visited a trampoline park with her sister (Abby) and dad. Within fifteen minutes, she suffered a freak fall and was rushed into the hospital with a broken arm. An intended 45-minute operation transformed into two hours, after which she was ordered to spend the next six months in a cast with several pins in her arm. Although she still attempted dancing and tumbling, much to the dismay of her coaches, Emily was officially out for the season.

This absence was a moment of enlightenment: A true awakening as to how much she loved dance.

By age fourteen, the world of high school and many changes were introduced. Instead of falling into the “traditional” high school experience of clubs, football games, and alternative sports teams, Emily carved her own distinctive path. One of the few people in her friend group still dancing, she trained at the studio six days a week from 3:30 - 9:00 PM, rehearsed and competed (January-April) on weekends, and performed 14 - 16 dances per season on the senior dance team. Her studio’s haven soon became a second home, as she balanced dance and school, flourishing from her demanding schedule.

However, Emily was just as enthusiastic about sharing this magical art form with others, which is why she founded the dance team at Windham High School alongside her math teacher (a former dancer) and a couple of friends. As a sophomore, this enabled her to become more involved in school happenings and to take pride in the community she helped create, which is still going strong to this day.

By the summer of sophomore year, she faced a difficult crossroads yet again, confronted by the defining reality all young people must face: discovering the impact they wish to leave on the world. Devoting nearly her entire life to her sport, Emily worked hard to earn high grades but was unsure of her future direction. No conventional career seemed to surpass the vigor she felt for dance. It was only when she spoke with her childhood role model, a former dancer at her studio, that she discovered the possibility of studying dance, particularly at Pace University. The moment Emily and her mom decided to tour the New York City school, her entire future opened up.

“You always hear people when they talk about their dream school is that they immediately just knew it was the school for them the second they first step foot on campus, and that is exactly how I felt.” - Emily Atkinson

Committing to this path, Emily attended Pace University’s Annual Commercial Dance Program’s Fall Intensive in her junior year, designed for high school students to take weekend-long faculty-led classes, and watch a showcase of the students performing in pieces they performed the previous year. A matter of a couple of days is all it took to change her life, solidifying the foundation of a dream: To attend Pace University and make her passion her life’s work.

After applying early decision at Pace, Emily attended the University Program for the second time in her senior year. Though this time, she was competing for one of the thirty-two spots against an array of unique talent. Although the nerves were running high in her audition, Emily brought a talent all her own. The moment she was accepted was a day she will never forget, personally validating her skills as a dancer, proving that the years of hard work paid off.

Emily was now determined to make the most of her senior year: “The Year of The Lasts”. With the pressure lifted, she effortlessly glided through her first competition dance of the season, allowing the music to overtake her just as it did during her first solo. It was the best she had ever performed. Though she had no way of knowing that her motto would take effect just as the season began. This peak performance would be her final dance with Melissa Hoffman Dance Center and her last competitive routine, as the Coronavirus pandemic soon shut down the entire world. Despite this roadblock, Emily used this well-deserved break to attend her dream school the following year.

“My time at Pace was one of the most incredible four years. Every single day, I was just so grateful and still in shock that I was one of 32 dancers accepted. That I was good enough to be a part of such a prestigious program.” - Emily Atkinson.

Investing in the professional growth of their dancers, Emily’s second semester of her junior year at Pace granted the entire dance program a life-changing experience. The longest and farthest she had ever been from home, Emily graced the West Coast with her captivating abilities, shining in the spotlight. By experiencing more of the industry and being introduced to agents and choreographers in Los Angeles, she walked away from this transformative semester with the privilege of having been scouted and signed by Bloc Talent Agency.

In the summer before her senior year, Emily had successfully booked her first professional job in a Coke Zero Commercial, with the help of her agent. Her time had come, writing the chapters of her story as her dreams aligned. Expanding her wheelhouse into acting, she used the excited nerves to her advantage and couldn’t hold back the tears the first time she saw it on television. She made it.

Continuing to earn high distinctions, Emily graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pace University in 2024, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Commercial Dance. After becoming more exposed to auditions, she booked another job the following year as a stand-in for Kristin Chenoweth in a HomeGoods commercial. However, despite the lack of dancing jobs, she persevered, waiting for her moment to be discovered.

As with anyone who has felt unworthy when faced with ungranted opportunities, you can imagine the pressure Emily has faced in this competitive field. Instead of being controlled by self-doubt, her strong determination turned these rejections into leverage to reach great heights.

By November of 2024, Emily booked her very first professional dance job, dancing for T-Pain in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Working alongside this American musician and rapper was a door she never thought would be opened, but it was a day she will never forget. As her favorite part of Thanksgiving, becoming a part of this masterpiece was a true full-circle moment… A moment if only her younger self could have witnessed.

However, this opportunity was only the beginning of her blossoming career. Just nine months later, Emily received a call that changed her life forever. After auditioning three times in four months, she finally got the news that she had been booked for a role in a Netflix movie as a dancer. Slated for release in 2026, this job is a testament to her unwavering dedication as a dancer and an actor; a foreshadowing of all the great works she has yet to create.

“Anyone who asks me what my dream job would be, I would always say to be in a movie, specifically a dance movie, and the fact that my dream came true at just 23 is beyond mind-blowing to me.” - Emily Atkinson

In the physically demanding world of dance, there are far fewer people who make it than those who don’t. They say it’s impossible to become your hero, but Emily’s passion for dance is pushing those boundaries. Her determination to spread its beauty to the world overtakes any closed doors… Her ambition allows her to shine in a class all her own. She has found her calling within this art, and there is nothing she would rather do.

Now at 24 years old, Emily has proven herself to be unstoppable, so there is no limit to what this magnificent dancer can achieve. She has made numerous opportunities for herself by leaps and bounds, and her accomplishments show no end in sight. One can only wonder if her parents knew of the impact she would make on the world when she was born, elevating the streets of New York City and beyond with her timeless style. Emily is forever grateful to her parents, Mom (Tania) and Dad (Neil), for supporting her throughout her journey thus far and for sacrificing so much of their lives so she could do what she loves and chase her dreams.

“Whenever I book a job, not only is it a dream for me, but it shows my parents that everything they did for me was always worth it.” - Emily Atkinson