Dakota La Penna lives in Burleson, Texas, where she is a junior dance major at I.M Terrell Academy for Stem and VPA, National Football League (NFL) Youth Dancer for the Dallas Cowboys Rookie Squad, and a company member of MovZ Dance Company. She has trained in many different styles of dance including jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, ballet, and the Lester Horton technique. Dakota performed in both the 2018 and 2019 “Back to Football”, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Halftime shows and Home Game pre-game performances for the Dallas Cowboys. Dakota continues to train in the I.M. Terrell Dance Department and the Terrell Dance Ensemble where she works in ballet and the Horton Technique. The Terrell Dance Ensemble works year round with different choreographers to create a diversity of pieces for their performances. Along with her training with the Dallas Cowboys Rookie Squad and the Terrell Dance Ensemble she dances competitively with a competition team at MovZ Dance Company.

If you were to ask my family or close friends to describe me in a couple of words, the adjectives energetic, kind, organized, and determined would be the description that you would get before meeting me. My personality is something that doesn’t shift or get altered when I enter into the dance world. As an artist I go into every class with an immense amount of energy and determination while also being aware and observant about the class environment. My energy for dance comes directly from my passion and love for this craft, the feeling of being free to express my thoughts and share my ideas in a world of other dancers is the best feeling I could ask for. When I dance I am overwhelmed with all that dance has to offer. I continue to push myself to find growth and strength through the struggles of dance as I approach my future. Being an artist in dance hasn’t necessarily defined who I have become, but has encouraged and brought out the best version of myself, encouraging confidence and kindness, through happiness and passion.