Dawn has always been a gifted dancer, starting at a young age and dancing all the way through high school, where her team finished eighth in nationals her senior year. Her favorite activity came to an abrupt halt while she was a student at Middle Tennessee State University, however, as a result of two separate knee surgeries.
After graduating with a broadcast journalism degree, dancing became a much smaller part of her life, something to do just for fun, until 2011. That year, Dawn left her hometown of Nashville, Tenn., and moved to St. Louis to be closer to her sister and for a change of scenery.