Daily Inspiration: Meet Katie Watkins-Washo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Watkins-Washo.

Hi Katie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
From a young age, I loved anything creative – jewelry-making, ballet, belting showtunes, and writing poems – all of it held magic for me. My mother enrolled me in ballet and jazz dance at Classical Dance Theatre in Newnan, GA. From there, I began taking theater classes at The Legacy Theatre (Tyrone, GA) and voice lessons from a local teacher. Eventually, I found my way to a faith-based dance studio in my area. It was a beautiful time for me in many ways, and I developed a lot of close friendships at that studio. However, it was steeped in a fundamentalist evangelical Christian community. Many of the families who attended the studio homeschooled their children and lived very sheltered lives. I was always seen as different, even though, as a kid, I put on a good show of trying to fit in. I did my best to be a leader in my community, even gaining my first years of teaching experience at the studio. Still, I was a fiery and confident kid in a deeply religious community that did not understand me. I was too blunt and quick to speak my opinion, and I did not match the ideal meek femininity that was expected of me. My relationship to the arts and dance became intertwined with my religious and spiritual struggles.

When I went off to college, my entire world opened up. I had received scholarships to pursue my dance degree at Brenau University in Gainesville, GA. I owe Brenau and my fellow students not only for expanding my worldview, but also for helping me heal the spiritual damage that had been done to me as a teenager. My professors in the Dance Department (Madia Cooper-Ashirifi, Jessica Lynch-Oliver, Angela Harris, John Streit, and Michael Jablonski) helped show me a path within the arts and in life. I also studied English at Brenau under incredible professors, including Sandy Brim, Katherine Locey, and Debra Dobkins. At Brenau, I worked with incredible guest artists including Nicholas Palmquist, Jesse Zarrit, Allyne Gartrell, Jennifer Archibald, Du’Bois A’Keen, and Xavier Lewis. My early upbringing made me feel stunted in my development, but my experiences in college absolutely transformed me. I was deeply involved at Brenau University in student leadership and sorority life. I was given opportunities to travel to Philadelphia, California, Washington, and Indiana through the dance department and my student leadership roles. When I graduated with my degree in 2023, I felt like a completely new person.

When I graduated, I was lucky to join the staff of two amazing dance studios (The Neighborhood Ballet and Dauphin Dance Center), as well as doing social media for Core Dance (a founder-led arts non-profit). Later, I was also hired as the Events Editor to manage a public events calendar for ArtsATL. My work for these two non-profits and as a dance educator allowed me the flexibility to perform for Atlanta choreographers Nadya Zeitlin, Meaghan Novoa, and Versaille Jones, as well as for the non-profit organization, Dance Canvas. In addition to my education and performance work, I worked as an assistant choreographer on the 2024, 2025, and 2026 Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards (aka the Shuler Awards) under choreographer Kari Twyman-Walker. I also had an incredibly fun theater contract at the Strand Theatre for Shane DeLancey’s original musical “A Christmas Tradition” in 2024.

As a choreographer, I have presented work for Core Dance’s Constructing Dance, Fall for Fall Atlanta, and Dance Canvas’s Palette Project. I haven’t been choreographing or creating much for myself lately, but I am choreographing constantly for my students. I would love to create a choreographic work about my experiences with religion and spiritual abuse.

When talking about where I have gotten today, I have to emphasize the collective gratitude I have for my teachers, mentors, coworkers, friends, and family. Every opportunity was given to me by someone who took a chance on me, believed in me, or said my name in rooms I wasn’t yet invited into. I owe so much to my community. These people inspire me and create pathways for young artists every day, because there should be space at the table for all of us!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I felt extremely disempowered as a young girl. I was made to believe that I wouldn’t amount to much in spite of my intelligence, creativity, and strength. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I had no financial education other than being told to marry someone to take care of me. I know it sounds like something from the 1950s, but I was made to feel like I had no agency and no options.

The future seemed oppressive, and I had no idea how I was going to afford being an artist once I graduated from college. It made me angry at the world, but then it opened my eyes to what others were experiencing. I began learning about my own finances while I was still in school – listening to podcasts, reading books, and making plans. I was extremely privileged that I had scholarships, on-campus jobs, and family support to be able to set myself up for success. I used the time I had to create a financial foundation for myself. I am working to share this knowledge with other young artists, educating them on taxes for creatives, budgeting, savings, retirement, and more. Recently, I presented a Financial Literacy Workshop for young artists at Dance Canvas’s DC Next intensive. I am not a financial advisor or tax professional (yet!), and that is something I am very clear about. However, I believe that sharing my personal experience and pointing students to key resources is life-changing.

The challenges I experienced are my inspiration to help empower others. They keep me committed to being in the arts as a teacher, an administrator, a dancer, a choreographer, and more!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m so proud of my work as a dance educator. I’ve been very focused on my students in the last few years, and I’m really grateful for my experiences with them. Working with children so much has been healing and hopeful. It is one of the only things that can pull me into the present, no matter what has been going on in my day. Every class plan and every group of students is like a puzzle; it’s incredible to be a child’s first dance teacher! I’ve been working at my studios for almost four years, and I want to cry when I think of my students’ growth over the years. I can feel and see the impact of my work with them.

I also teach an open adult class at the Neighborhood Ballet, focusing on Ballet Strength and Pointe. My adult students inspire me every day! We all juggle so much with work, family, and life, but to see many adult students back at the barre week after week, it’s just so cool! I know many who drive through the worst traffic, sacrifice time at home with their families, or come straight from work just to move their bodies. I look forward to seeing them every week! Because I’ve experienced some negative environments in dance, I really strive to marry my technical knowledge and teaching with a positive and encouraging environment for my students of all ages.

I’m also very proud of the work I am developing in the arts and financial education space. I want to be real about who has the privilege to have the time and resources to make art and do the kind of work I do. The system is pay-to-play and shuts so many people out. Yet, I want young artists to have hope and to be a part of the change, not only in the arts ecosystem but also in this country. We can’t change this system if we don’t know what’s broken. We can’t build the resources to fund our work, help others in need, and support arts organizations if we don’t first know how to create our own financial stability.

I am pursuing an MBA online at Louisiana State University – Shreveport, while also pursuing opportunities to give these workshops on the side. It is a huge passion project for me, and it makes me feel like I’m having a genuine impact on artists’ lives. I’m hoping to put this knowledge out there for people and make it feel more accessible. I am creating my own path in my career, and so I hope this can open up more pathways for those who come after me.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a bit of a mess, but I was also a goody-two-shoes who loved rules! I lovingly describe my younger self as a little loud and obnoxious. I was a total nerd, and always had my nose in a book. I wanted to do anything artsy or girly, but hated being told I couldn’t do something. I loved sleepovers and always had great female friendships. I talked a lot about my religious background earlier because it’s just so fundamental to who I’ve become, but beyond that, I was a very normal and mostly happy kid. My teen years were difficult because of the pressures that exist in such a deeply religious, misogynistic, and homophobic environment. I felt like I was constantly under a microscope, and I’m sure many people can relate to that feeling. It takes a lot of ongoing processing to unravel the harm done in my relationship to my body, sexuality, work ethic, and creative expression. Still, I’m kind of in awe of my teenage and young adult self for staying as true to myself as I did, and for not letting those experiences break me. It felt like there was no way out for me, but I had a vision of myself as something more. With a little gusto and tons of help from people who saw me, I’ve been able to build an incredible life! I look at all the work I do now as an adventure, and I’m just getting started!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiewatkinswasho
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-watkins-washo-ab66a2221