March 2020 Featured Interview
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Interview with
Nikki Feirt Atkins, M.D.
Former Dancer, Pathologist and Founder of American Dance Machine of the 21st Century
Photo Credit: Dan Demetriad
About Nikki:
Nikki Feirt Atkins, M.D., is a former dancer, pathologist, and founder and producing artistic director of American Dance Machine of the 21st Century (ADM21).
Nikki studied ballet as a scholarship student at New Jersey Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, where she performed briefly with the Joffrey Ballet. In addition, she studied Graham, Horton, East Indian dance (Bharatanatyam), jazz with Matt Mattox, Luigi and Betsy Haug with whom she performed. Nikki also studied with Lee Theodore, founder of the original American Dance Machine, who had a profound influence on Nikki.
After a brief career as a professional dancer, Nikki went on to obtain her B.A., magna cum laude, in Biology and Performing Arts from New York University. She subsequently earned her M.D., completed her residency and fellowships at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell and Columbia, and became a practicing pathologist and researcher at Columbia University Medical Center.
While working as a part-time pathologist in private practice, Nikki became involved in several dance projects, including Executive Director of the Joffrey Ballet School in New York and working with director and choreographer Chet Walker on projects including the founding of The Jack Cole Project.
In February 2012, Nikki founded American Dance Machine for the 21st Century, where she is currently Founder and Producing Artistic Director.
Nikki Feirt Atkins, M.D., is a former dancer, pathologist, and founder and producing artistic director of American Dance Machine of the 21st Century (ADM21).
Nikki studied ballet as a scholarship student at New Jersey Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, where she performed briefly with the Joffrey Ballet. In addition, she studied Graham, Horton, East Indian dance (Bharatanatyam), jazz with Matt Mattox, Luigi and Betsy Haug with whom she performed. Nikki also studied with Lee Theodore, founder of the original American Dance Machine, who had a profound influence on Nikki.
After a brief career as a professional dancer, Nikki went on to obtain her B.A., magna cum laude, in Biology and Performing Arts from New York University. She subsequently earned her M.D., completed her residency and fellowships at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Cornell and Columbia, and became a practicing pathologist and researcher at Columbia University Medical Center.
While working as a part-time pathologist in private practice, Nikki became involved in several dance projects, including Executive Director of the Joffrey Ballet School in New York and working with director and choreographer Chet Walker on projects including the founding of The Jack Cole Project.
In February 2012, Nikki founded American Dance Machine for the 21st Century, where she is currently Founder and Producing Artistic Director.
About American Dance Machine of the 21st Century (ADM21):
ADM21 is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by Nikki Feirt Atkins. The organization is dedicated to creating a living and vibrant archive of classic and current notable musical theater choreography. ADM21 is continuing the legacy of the late Lee Theodore, a noted Broadway dancer, choreographer and director, who established The American Dance Machine in 1976 as a “living archive” of musical theater dance to address her belief that “many great choreographic works are lost with the musical they once embellished.” Of concern was that the artistry, nuance and intent of each dance would vanish with the artists who created them. The need to properly hand them down by either the living choreographer or the dancers on whom the choreography was set was crucial so that the original nuance and intent would not be lost over time.
American Dance Machine for the 21st Century strives to be a leading center for musical theater dance and to perpetuate the excellence of this genre through the education, preservation and presentation of classic and current notable works of musical theater choreography. ADM21’s educational program has been established to inspire and enrich musical theater dance students and budding choreographers in the development of distinctive artistic expression through an expanded course of dance instruction, uniting the work of musical theater's founding choreographers and teachers with current styles and trends.
ADM21 is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by Nikki Feirt Atkins. The organization is dedicated to creating a living and vibrant archive of classic and current notable musical theater choreography. ADM21 is continuing the legacy of the late Lee Theodore, a noted Broadway dancer, choreographer and director, who established The American Dance Machine in 1976 as a “living archive” of musical theater dance to address her belief that “many great choreographic works are lost with the musical they once embellished.” Of concern was that the artistry, nuance and intent of each dance would vanish with the artists who created them. The need to properly hand them down by either the living choreographer or the dancers on whom the choreography was set was crucial so that the original nuance and intent would not be lost over time.
American Dance Machine for the 21st Century strives to be a leading center for musical theater dance and to perpetuate the excellence of this genre through the education, preservation and presentation of classic and current notable works of musical theater choreography. ADM21’s educational program has been established to inspire and enrich musical theater dance students and budding choreographers in the development of distinctive artistic expression through an expanded course of dance instruction, uniting the work of musical theater's founding choreographers and teachers with current styles and trends.
Myrna Beth Haskell, executive editor, met Nikki for lunch in Manhattan and spoke with her about her journey as a dancer, the illness that ended her dance career and her desire to inspire young dancers and choreographers.
Let’s talk about your journey in the world of dance.
I started at age three, at a dancing school that had ballet, tap, acrobatics…then serious ballet around the age of 7. I studied at Garden State Ballet with Fred Danieli, a former dancer with New York City Ballet, and I just fell in love with ballet! I later studied with Carolyn Clark at New Jersey Ballet. But I also loved the sciences.
So you had an exceptional aptitude in both areas?
Yes. But my mother told me she wanted me to be a doctor…that dancers were 'prostitutes.'
Oh my!
Laughing. She wanted me to be an arts patron, NOT an artist - she certainly took me to many performances. But I kept dancing. I began pointe work at ten years old. [Pointe work: When a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of her toes with a fully-extended foot within pointe shoes.]
And that was hard on your feet, right? Any long-lasting issues?
Oh...God yes!
I have terrible back issues after gymnastics and dance. What we do to our bodies...
No kidding.
Let’s talk about your journey in the world of dance.
I started at age three, at a dancing school that had ballet, tap, acrobatics…then serious ballet around the age of 7. I studied at Garden State Ballet with Fred Danieli, a former dancer with New York City Ballet, and I just fell in love with ballet! I later studied with Carolyn Clark at New Jersey Ballet. But I also loved the sciences.
So you had an exceptional aptitude in both areas?
Yes. But my mother told me she wanted me to be a doctor…that dancers were 'prostitutes.'
Oh my!
Laughing. She wanted me to be an arts patron, NOT an artist - she certainly took me to many performances. But I kept dancing. I began pointe work at ten years old. [Pointe work: When a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of her toes with a fully-extended foot within pointe shoes.]
And that was hard on your feet, right? Any long-lasting issues?
Oh...God yes!
I have terrible back issues after gymnastics and dance. What we do to our bodies...
No kidding.
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Well...let's get back to your dancing. Was your training primarily in ballet?
I explored other areas of dance, too. I studied jazz while at New Jersey Ballet with Matt Mattox.* I really loved him as an instructor – he was incredible. Jazz is a freer form of dance than ballet – there’s more flexibility in what you can do. I didn’t want to do Swan Lake [Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1876, Swan Lake became one of the most popular and most performed ballets of all time]. I did study other forms of dance as well, such as Graham, Horton, East Indian Bharatnatyam, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Haitian and more. A highlight for me was auditioning for Alvin Ailey and Judith Jamison when I first came to New York City. His work was based on Katherine Dunham’s technique. ** I received scholarships from both The Ailey School and the Joffrey Ballet School. I decided to go with Joffrey. *Besides serving as artistic director of the New Jersey Ballet, Matt Mattox was a sought-after jazz dancer in Hollywood, and he also had a significant career as a choreographer and teacher in Europe. **Dunham technique: Dunham embraced classical ballet as a foundation for her technique. What set this work apart from Martha Graham and others was her fusion of that foundation with Afro-Caribbean styles. Besides, Ailey, another one of Dunham's most famous students was Eartha Kitt. (Dance Spirit magazine) |
Dancers with ADM21
Photo Credit: Christopher Duggan |
Did you have a female mentor in the dance community?
Meredith Baylis, a former ballerina with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, was a mentor of mine while I was studying at Joffrey. She was so strict! Laughing. I can still see her tapping her cane during class.
Your professional dance career ended early, and you wound up pursuing a career in medicine after all.
Well…this is a big part of my journey. I had a severe eating disorder…anorexia at first. I also suffered from bulimia. I was starving and binging. I would look in the mirror and see a 300 pound woman.
It started for me when I was about 14. There wasn’t a lot of awareness about it back then. I think it was around 1970 when there was a feature piece in New York Magazine that shed a light on it. I suffered for years. I was in and out of eating disorder clinics and hospitals while I was trying to have a dance career.
Did anyone notice what was going on?
I was captain of the majorettes in high school, and when my gym teacher saw me in my uniform after summer vacation, she was horrified. She said that I looked like I came from Auschwitz. My instructors at Joffrey were aware that something was wrong as well.
Meredith Baylis, a former ballerina with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, was a mentor of mine while I was studying at Joffrey. She was so strict! Laughing. I can still see her tapping her cane during class.
Your professional dance career ended early, and you wound up pursuing a career in medicine after all.
Well…this is a big part of my journey. I had a severe eating disorder…anorexia at first. I also suffered from bulimia. I was starving and binging. I would look in the mirror and see a 300 pound woman.
It started for me when I was about 14. There wasn’t a lot of awareness about it back then. I think it was around 1970 when there was a feature piece in New York Magazine that shed a light on it. I suffered for years. I was in and out of eating disorder clinics and hospitals while I was trying to have a dance career.
Did anyone notice what was going on?
I was captain of the majorettes in high school, and when my gym teacher saw me in my uniform after summer vacation, she was horrified. She said that I looked like I came from Auschwitz. My instructors at Joffrey were aware that something was wrong as well.
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ADM21: Dance Ensembles
Photo Credits: Christopher Duggan |
What was the breaking point?
After years of this, I wound up in rehab in California. I had a spiritual awakening there. The rehab was surrounded by desert and mountains. They set up a program that was not about 'dieting.' You were able to eat anything you wanted, but it had to be during mealtime – there were three meals a day for one hour each. It was a way that allowed me to give up control. The eating disorder was about control. When I finished rehab, I realized that I needed to take a break from dancing. It was time to pursue my medical degree. I had taken molecular biology and other classes while I was dancing, but I hadn’t finished. So I needed to complete college first. NYU gave me credits for my time performing as a dancer. I completed my pre-meds, graduated and went on to medical school. My mom had passed away in the interim and never saw me complete my medical degree. |
Nikki became a pathologist, but her love of dance never waned.
You know…when I stopped dancing…I felt like the artist in me had been ripped out of my heart. For many years I could not even watch a dance performance. It was too painful. Later in my medical career, I started to become involved with dance projects while I was a practicing pathologist, such as The Jack Cole Project [The Jack Cole Project was a revue built mainly of reconstructed Cole numbers from Hollywood musicals.] Jack Cole was considered the ‘Father of Modern Jazz.’ I also did work with the Joffrey Ballet School. [Nikki was Director of Development, Outreach and New Artistic Programs in 2007 and 2008.] The company had moved, but the school stayed here in New York.
You know…when I stopped dancing…I felt like the artist in me had been ripped out of my heart. For many years I could not even watch a dance performance. It was too painful. Later in my medical career, I started to become involved with dance projects while I was a practicing pathologist, such as The Jack Cole Project [The Jack Cole Project was a revue built mainly of reconstructed Cole numbers from Hollywood musicals.] Jack Cole was considered the ‘Father of Modern Jazz.’ I also did work with the Joffrey Ballet School. [Nikki was Director of Development, Outreach and New Artistic Programs in 2007 and 2008.] The company had moved, but the school stayed here in New York.
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In 2012, you founded ADM21 as a nonprofit. Was this a daunting process?
I had studied with Lee Theodore who founded the original American Dance Machine in 1976. She passed away in 1987, and the organization she founded died with her. While working on the Jack Cole Project, I began to think about American Dance Machine (ADM) which preserved great works of musical theater choreography of multiple choreographers. I did extensive research and determined that the original ADM no longer existed. I began by acquiring the trademark and obtained our 501c3 nonprofit status, which was necessary to raise money while encouraging dance enthusiasts to get involved and support the arts. I worked with a nonprofit attorney which was absolutely necessary. I knew that the new ADM needed to be done in a way to bring it into the 21st Century for today’s young dancers and choreographers. So I called the new company American Dance Machine for the 21st Century. In 2014, I decided to retire from medicine in order to focus on ADM21. It was taking off, and I needed to concentrate my energies on it. |
Photo Credits: Christopher Duggan
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We are focused on preserving great works of musical theater choreography with the nuances and intent with which they were created. When a show closes, the script and score are preserved. The dances remain in the muscles and minds of the dancers who performed them. Since approximately 1969, shows began to be filmed, but you can’t fully recreate choreography from film – you can get steps and counts, but not the nuance and intent of the choreographer that brings the work to life. So we brought in the choreographer, if living, or the dancers on whom the choreography was staged to teach our current generation of dancers.* What we’re doing is creating a ‘living archive’ of these notable classics. It’s all about preservation, presentation and education.
Actually, it’s about inspiration, too. We are dedicated to inspiring young choreographers and dancers – for them to learn from the greats and then find their own way.
*Prior to the late 1960s, Broadway musicals were not filmed. The books and scores of shows were preserved for posterity, but the dances within these shows ran the risk of being lost. ADM21 continues Theodore's vision while simultaneously inspiring today’s young creatives.
Actually, it’s about inspiration, too. We are dedicated to inspiring young choreographers and dancers – for them to learn from the greats and then find their own way.
*Prior to the late 1960s, Broadway musicals were not filmed. The books and scores of shows were preserved for posterity, but the dances within these shows ran the risk of being lost. ADM21 continues Theodore's vision while simultaneously inspiring today’s young creatives.
Photo Credits: Christopher Duggan
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What do you do as founder?
I do everything – artistic planning, fundraising, running an education program, directing, casting – I’m pretty much involved in all aspects, including relationships with dancers. I’ve never had a dancer turn down this project. They are excited to learn these notable works from these great, original dancers and to have the opportunity to perform them. Where are ADM21’s performances held? We have held several studio showings which showcase the reconstructed works through performances. We have had two successful seasons at The Joyce Theater and have performed at several benefits, such as Dance Against Cancer, Career Transition for Dancer, Dancers Responding to AIDS and more. |
My favorite choreographer is Bob Fosse. Do you have a favorite?
Well…I really have so many. Fosse, of course…but also Jerome Robbins, Jack Cole, Michael Bennett, Susan Stroman and Tommy Tune. And, of course, Joshua Bergasse whom I’m working with right now.
Future plans for ADM21?
To develop a solid and comprehensive education program.
Where do you find sanctuary?
While having an MRI – complete solitude!
This got us both laughing.
Well…it’s true enough. I also find sanctuary at the beach….and gardening!
Well…I really have so many. Fosse, of course…but also Jerome Robbins, Jack Cole, Michael Bennett, Susan Stroman and Tommy Tune. And, of course, Joshua Bergasse whom I’m working with right now.
Future plans for ADM21?
To develop a solid and comprehensive education program.
Where do you find sanctuary?
While having an MRI – complete solitude!
This got us both laughing.
Well…it’s true enough. I also find sanctuary at the beach….and gardening!
