Dawn Scannell was born on Long Island, New York, and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, She received her training from Victoria Leigh, James Franklin, and Ruth Petrinovic. Scannell joined Houston Ballet in 1985, rose to the rank of Principal Dancer, and retired in 2001. Throughout her career, she performed leading roles in both classical and contemporary works, with many roles created specifically for her. In 2006, Scannell was invited by Stanton Welch to become Ballet Mistress, staging a full-length Don Quixote for Houston Ballet. In this role, she taught classes for the main company, as well as Houston Ballet II and Houston Ballet Academy. She has restaged the works of Welch, Ben Stevenson, Christopher Bruce, and many others.