Shannon Atkins (she/her) moved to New York four years ago from Australia, and since then her talent and passion for dance has led her to travel throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Australia regularly judging and setting award-winning choreography and company repertoire. Most recently, Shannon taught at the Victorian Dance Festival in Melbourne, Australia as the US representatives. She is a coach for the USA Dance Team/American Dance Company, who represent their country in the International Dance Organization’s annual Jazz/Modern competition in Poland. She is also a judge for the World Dance Championships and has appeared on Lifetime TV’s Dance Moms. Shannon loves to share her knowledge and experience as a regular panel speaker and advisor at Star Dance Alliance seminars. She is best at offering guidance to international dancers wanting to make the transition to the US. Prior to her worldwide career, Shannon was a successful Australian performer appearing in musicals such as 42nd Street and Oklahoma, where she also took on the role of dance captain. She is also an established choreographer, having created many musicals including the ever popular High School Musical 2. She effectively directed and owned Dance Technique which is a leading performing arts school on the Gold Coast that has seen numerous students secure sought after roles on Broadway and in reputable schools and companies such as The Juilliard School and The English National Ballet. She was also a founding dance professor at the prestigious Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia. At BDC Shannon is on faculty for the Children and Teen Program along with also choreographing for the AIM company and the winter/summer workshops. Shannon is extremely versatile, teaching multiple genres of dance. She loves to create a “feel good” atmosphere in her classes while also challenging the dancers technically. Fun fact: Shannon also has a law/psychology degree.