Heather Atkins has been dancing since she can remember, learning primarily ballet and tap during childhood. Heather’s dance journey has led her to studying a wide range of forms throughout the years. She started training in Modern and Contemporary forms in adulthood. In 2018, she apprenticed and performed with modern dance company, ShaLeigh Dance Works. She was introduced to Hip-Hop and forms of Street and Club dance through the American Dance Festival intensives in 2016 and 2017. During these intensives, Heather’s appreciation and love for Hip-Hop grew as she attended classes taught by Teena Marie Custer, Otto “Aquaboogy” Vazquez, and E. Moncell Durden. This led her to seek more training in Hip-Hop through local dance studios here in Durham. When the pandemic hit, she continued to pursue online classes in Breaking with B-Boy and instructor Ivan “Heat Rock” Cofield. Heather also attended E. Moncell Durden’s online courses, Intangible Roots, which focuses on education of heritage, history, and culture of Black dance forms. As she learned of the depth of the history and culture of House from Durden, she started to fall in love with House. She has since pursued House as her focus by taking Jardy Santiago’s online courses and traveling whenever possible to attend workshops. Heather is very honored to be a part of Tatiana Desardouin’s piece and to have attended Desardouin’s ADF classes as she plans to pursue Hip-Hop and House dance with now expanded knowledge and appreciation of these forms.