Folsom resident Deirdre Hawkins thought she was going to become an English teacher, until the night she saw the aptly named Revelations by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Although she’d given up ballet after injuring both Achilles tendons in high school, the modern dance production reawakened her love of the art. “I cried through the whole thing,” Hawkins admits. She soon switched her major to dance education, eventually earning a master’s degree in education with a dance specialization from Stanford University. She wanted to follow her true passion in life – teaching and choreographing.

Hawkins is now the director of the Hawkins School of Performing Arts, a studio that has expanded since it’s humble beginnings to include 23 instructors of ballet, tap, jazz, voice and other performing arts. She is also the founder of Stages Folsom Dance Arts, an organization consisting of three dance troops, including Ballet Folsom, where Hawkins is the artistic director. Every year, Ballet Folsom offers complimentary ballet classes to area children in need, via the On Our Toes program. For Hawkins, an active Kiwanis Club member, there is nothing better than giving back to the community to help make her dream a reality. “I live in a wonderful community [which is] very supportive of the arts,” Deirdre says. “It’s the best of all worlds.”

For more about Deirdre Hawkins and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – Folsom, El Dorado Hills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.