Hiland High graduate dances her way to new heights

In Ecclesiastes, Scripture says there is a time to mourn and a time to dance.

For Dakota Olsen, the time to dance is now.

Olsen, the daughter of Brad and Shannon Olsen of Millersburg, was recently promoted to the position of apprentice with the Enoch Contemporary Dance Company in Tennessee.

Olsen, a 2025 graduate of Hiland High School, was a rising star at Holmes Center for the Arts, dancing in lead roles throughout her time there. She spent the past year in the trainee program at Enoch and was the only trainee to be promoted to apprentice.

This is a high honor as it is the equivalent of the minor leagues for baseball, considered a professional but one step away from the major leagues. The mission of Enoch Contemporary Dance Company is to use movement and dance in tandem with worship to present the Gospel of Jesus, which is exactly what Olsen is doing.

“Ever since the third grade, I’ve loved the artistry and creativity of dance,” Olsen said. “I enjoy the fact that no matter how good you are, there are always things you can work at and improve on, and this opportunity has been incredible.”

Olsen said her trek to where she is today has been a whirlwind of endless activity, hard work and building her desire to be the best dancer she can be.

“It’s been crazy, kind of surreal," she said.

What prepared her was her experience at HCA, where she stepped out of the shy girl she was and began to find the incredible dancer that dwelt inside.

“HCA had so many great teachers who provided guidance and help for me,” Olsen said. “(Former HCA director and professional dancer) Holley Johnson placed such an emphasis on artistry and technique that it built a great foundation for me.”

Olsen was honored to get into the internship program at Enoch and said since she has been there, she has vastly improved and continues to work on developing her technique.

Her internship life now consists of technique classes Tuesday through Thursday, and during her off days, she works at Panda Express.

“My passion is for dance, not necessarily for Panda Express,” she said. “But it helps pay the bills while I pursue what I love doing.”

As executive director of HCA at the time Olsen was there, Johnson had the honor of seeing Olsen blossom as a performer.

“When I started teaching at Holmes Center for the Arts, it was one of my hopes and prayers that we would be able to have the highest quality artists leaving there to go out into the world to make a difference through the arts,” Johnson said. “It felt like a little bit of a silly dream. It’s hard to make it to that professional level as an artist and especially if you come from a small town.”

Johnson made it in the professional dance world, and she knows how difficult and trying it can be. She said it takes someone with strong morals and values, and what better place to send out those people than Holmes County, a place where God is first, family is important, and love, grace and kindness are values that are still taught?

What did happen was Olsen’s story of triumph.

“Dakota stood out from her first ballet class, and not just because of her beautiful, fiery-red hair,” Johnson said. “She had the talent, the passion, the artistry and over time developed incredible physical strength. She was a joy to have in class, never having attitude and always kind to others, working her hardest.

“But even with all that, sometimes dancers don’t make it. God chose to give Dakota everything she needed to become a professional dancer.”

Johnson remembers the first time Olsen decided to go away to a summer intensive dance camp to train, where she got homesick. There was a time in high school where she got burned out and considered quitting dance.

“I think she just wanted to be a regular kid who wasn’t dancing all year long,” Johnson said.

However, Olsen took a summer off and came back inspired.

From all appearances Olsen has thrived in Tennessee, training to be a dancer, working on the side in the food industry, making new friends and now the only trainee to move to the apprentice level.

“Reflecting back at my life, I’m exactly where I want to be and where I feel God wants me to be,” Olsen said. “I want to dance for as long as I am able to, and wherever that takes me, I’ll be happy to go.”

As for being a mentor and role model for younger performers at HCA, Olsen said she never expected it would be her setting that example, but now that she has risen to where she is, she embraces the idea that her effort and work ethic will inspire other youngsters to follow their dreams.

She said if she can make it, others can too.

Johnson agrees and recognizes that dreams can come true when someone is willing to pay the price and pursue one.

“It makes me happy deep in my soul to know she’s one of those lights out in the world making a difference, so maybe my dreams of fantastic artists coming out of Holmes County weren’t so silly after all,” Johnson said.

Olsen now serves as an inspiration to every Holmes County youngster with dreams of dancing their way to stardom.