Dominique Dawes may forever be identified as one of the “Magnificent Seven” from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but her impact on and off the mat extends far beyond that gold medal moment.
Dawes started in gymnastics at age six and was competing by age 10. She managed to score a place on the 1992 U.S. team bound for Barcelona, becoming the first African-American gymnast to qualify for the 
Olympics. Dawes ended up winning the bronze medal alongside her teammates. At the 1994 Nationals, she swept the board by winning the all-around title as well as securing gold medals in all four individual events. In addition to contributing to her team’s epic gold-medal victory, Dawes became the first African-American gymnast to win an individual medal at the Atlanta Games (a bronze for floor exercise). Dawes even managed to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
This three-time Olympian has kept busy since retiring from gymnastics. She’s worked as a multimedia correspondent for Yahoo! Sports during the Beijing Olympics and has covered both national as well as international gymnastics competitions for the likes of TNT, CBS Sports and Comcast Sports Net. Dawes also has made moves outside the broadcasting booth by appearing in the Broadway musical Grease as well as music videos for Prince and Missy Elliott.
Dawes is now making a name for herself as a motivational speaker. Sharing her personal and professional philosophy known as D-3 (Determination, Dedication, Desire). Dawes spreads her message of establishing self-esteem through positive body image coupled with a strong work ethic to youth and women’s groups. She also offers gymnastics clinics at facilities across the country, passing her love of the sport on to athletes of all ages. She earned her degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2002 and served as president for the Women’s Sports Foundation from 2005 to 2006. She’s even been a spokesperson for empowering crusades like the Girl Scouts of America’s Uniquely Me campaign.
With her accomplishments in the gym and her dedication to inspiring others, Dawes proves why she is affectionately known as “Awesome Dawesome.”
18
May
Lessons from Burlesque Dancer Dakota Ferreiro
by Sophia Hsu
0 Comments | Posted by thatgirl in Amuse Me, Get Creative, Making Waves
If you think that burlesque is glorified stripping with fancy lingerie, then Dakota Ferreiro has more than a few things to teach you. For one, burlesque isn’t about oversexed moves. Rather, like all art, it’s about connection – particularly between audience and performer, music and dancer, mind and body.
Ferreiro, or Miss Dakota when on stage, is one of the nation’s premier burlesque artists, working with names like Enrique Iglesias, the Gypsy Kings, Prince, George Michael, and Maroon 5. Most known for her four years headlining at the Forty Deuce nightclub in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Miss Dakota wants to bring the underground world of cabaret to the mainstream.
“When times are rough, people need an escape, and burlesque is perfect for that,” Ferreiro touts. “It started in the 1860s where comedy and musicality was used in performance to make fun of the stuffy Victorian class. And in America during the Roaring Twenties, burlesque was the underground entertainment where working class men could come and forget their troubles. With all the silliness that comes with the costumes, characters, and play on music, burlesque provides an escape from reality.”
A classically trained dancer, Ferreiro accredits her stint at Forty Deuce for opening her eyes to the cabaret world – a world that has taught her much about herself. “In burlesque, you’re up on stage alone so I learned how to be vulnerable,” Ferreiro declares. “That inner barrier is hard to break, but once you do, it changes you. You start connecting with the music and the audience, and you feel strong and empowered. Burlesque taught me how to be fearless.”
Yet burlesque doesn’t just affect the performer. Some of Dakota’s biggest fans are women who shower her with praise about her talent, physique, and confidence.
“A woman came up to me once and told me, ‘You make me want to be a better woman.’ Women understand confidence right away. And when they see you fully exposed and confident on stage, they want to be in that moment with you because they feed off of your energy.”
And that was the beginning of Ferreiro’s Burlesque Body workouts. “Burlesque helps people become better versions of themselves through dance, music, and laughter,” Ferreiro explains. “My classes are about having fun, owning your womanhood, and being in the moment. Sexy moves are sexy moves, but if you don’t have the confidence behind them, you just look stupid. Confidence is sexy, and that’s what I try to teach my students.”
Ferreiro exudes the lesson she teaches, and her “I am who I am” attitude makes her a bellist we can stand behind. From a young girl living in the Bronx to an acclaimed dancer living in the wild terrains of L.A., Ferreiro succeeds due to her no-nonsense personality. She advises, “Give yourself the chance to go for something bigger than you think you can achieve. And then give yourself enough time to fail at it or not like it and move on. It comes back to being fearless – to putting yourself out there and letting people know what’s on your mind.”
To find out more about Dakota, visit her website.