FEATURED ARTIST | BALLET & JAZZ | MISS AMERICA 2027
Regan Hutsell: Former Rockette and Ballet Dancer Crowned Miss America 2027
The Houston-born former Radio City Rockette and Birmingham Royal Ballet artist became the 99th Miss America — and the first crowned while wearing her natural hair. Her journey from the ballet studio to the national stage is one of discipline, resilience, representation, and purpose.
By Dance Mogul Magazine | September 2026
Regan Hutsell, Miss America 2027 | Photo: Rick Munroe (cropped) · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
AT A GLANCE
Regan Elizabeth Hutsell, 25, of Houston, Texas, was crowned Miss America 2027 on September 6, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida — the 99th woman to hold the title. A former Radio City Rockette and Birmingham Royal Ballet artist who began dancing at age four, she performed a jazz routine to “Le Jazz Hot” and won the preliminary Talent and Fitness awards. She made history as the 10th Black woman to win Miss America and the first to be crowned while wearing her natural hair.
On September 6, 2026, Regan Hutsell stepped into a new role. The Houston native and former professional dancer, competing as Miss Texas, was crowned Miss America 2027 at the 99th Miss America competition in West Palm Beach, Florida. But long before the crown, the sash, and the national spotlight, Hutsell had already spent years learning what it means to walk onto a stage fully prepared.
She learned it through dance.
At just 18 years old, Hutsell began her professional career as a Radio City Rockette. She later joined Birmingham Royal Ballet, building a résumé that crossed ballet, jazz, and theatrical performance and took her from American stages to an international dance career across Europe. For Dance Mogul Magazine, that makes her Miss America victory something more than a pageant result. It is another example of how the discipline built through dance can travel far beyond the theater — and this is the dancer’s story behind the headline.
Who Is Regan Hutsell?
Regan Elizabeth Hutsell was born on December 12, 2000, and raised in Houston, Texas. At 25, she is a professional dancer and now the newly crowned Miss America 2027. She entered the national competition as Miss Texas 2026, a title she won on June 27, 2026, at the Eisemann Center in Richardson, Texas, representing her hometown as Miss Houston.
Her win at the Palm Beach County Convention Center carried real historical weight. Hutsell is the fourth Miss Texas ever to capture the Miss America title, and the first Texas winner in more than 50 years — since Shirley Cothran took the crown in 1975. She succeeded outgoing Miss America Cassie Donegan of New York, and finished ahead of first runner-up Shelby Bordelon (Miss Louisiana) and second runner-up Kate Dimmett (Miss Illinois) in a field of 52 delegates representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
She also made history in a way that resonated far beyond pageant circles: Hutsell is the 10th Black woman to win Miss America, and the first to be crowned while wearing her natural hair. Fittingly, her crown was set with red and blue stones commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. But to understand how she got there, you have to go back to a four-year-old in Houston who fell in love with movement.
How Regan Hutsell Found Dance
Dance has been part of Regan Hutsell’s life since childhood. She began dancing at the age of four and grew fluent across several styles — lyrical, tap, jazz, and, most seriously of all, ballet. Reflecting on her start, she has described being captivated by the art form early and coming to cherish it as she grew.
Her classical foundation was built at Feijóo Ballet School in Texas, and her competitive record shows just how quickly that foundation took hold. Hutsell was a Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) finalist across multiple years — 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016 — and went on to earn gold medals in both Classical and Contemporary categories, first at the American Ballet Competition in 2019 and again at Dance Open America in 2021. These are not participation ribbons; they are the marks of a dancer being taken seriously at the highest levels of youth ballet.
From a four-year-old in a Houston studio to gold medals in classical ballet and a professional career on two continents — the foundation came first.
Watch: Regan Hutsell dancing “Black and Gold” — choreography by Caitlin Cannon (Studio Time) · embedded via Vimeo
From Radio City Rockette to Birmingham Royal Ballet
Then came an opportunity dancers around the world recognize instantly. In 2019, at just 18 years old, Hutsell was hired as a Radio City Rockette and performed during that year’s season. For a young dancer, it is one of the most demanding and iconic jobs in American dance — precision, stamina, and a legacy that stretches back to 1933. Years later, she would still call dancing on opening night at Radio City Music Hall her most enjoyable experience on stage, saying the magic of opening night at that theatre would always stay with her.
Her career continued through several companies, including Ballet Rhode Island, before she joined Birmingham Royal Ballet as an artist in 2021 — one of the world’s most respected touring ballet companies. There, her repertoire expanded across major productions: Peter Wright’s stagings of Coppélia, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake, alongside Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet, Still Life at the Penguin Café, and the boundary-pushing Black Sabbath – The Ballet. She traveled throughout Europe, sharing her artistry on some of the world’s most prestigious stages.
She was also selected for the inaugural BRB2 company in 2023 and performed Carlos Acosta’s Dying Swans, including a return to New York connected with a British Consulate General reception. Hutsell left Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2025 to pursue new opportunities — and one of those opportunities would eventually take her somewhere few professional ballet dancers ever expect to go.
Dance Meets the Miss America Stage
Hutsell entered the national competition as Miss Texas. And when it came time to demonstrate her talent, she returned to the language she had spent much of her life developing: dance. Her jazz performance to “Le Jazz Hot” earned her the preliminary Talent award, and she also claimed a preliminary Fitness award before advancing through the competition to be named Miss America 2027.
The Miss America Organization has described her professional dance career as formative to the discipline, resilience, and work ethic she now carries into leadership — and that connection deserves recognition. Professional dance demands repetition when nobody is watching. It demands physical preparation, the humility to accept correction, recovery after disappointment, and the confidence to deliver the instant the moment finally arrives. Hutsell carried all of it onto a completely different stage, and it showed.
Watch: Regan Hutsell crowned Miss America · CBS News Texas
A dancer who spent years mastering movement without words was, in the end, more prepared than almost anyone to command a national stage.
Regan Hutsell Makes History With Her Natural Hair
Hutsell’s victory carries a dimension that reached well beyond the pageant world. According to the Miss America Organization, she is the first woman of color to win the Miss America crown while wearing her natural hair — and the 10th Black woman to hold the title in the competition’s history. She chose to wear her natural curls throughout the competition and during her crowning.
In interviews after her win, she spoke about why that choice mattered. Early in her competing career she wasn’t sure whether she would straighten her hair or wear it natural — and eventually decided, as she put it, to wear it curly, as is. She has said she hopes young girls watching at home will see that they can exist as themselves, with their own natural hair and their own natural beauty, even if that looks different from what they expect to see on that stage. Hutsell has described her role as a kind of “bridge” — standing in the gap for the next generation of women of color.
For a woman whose entire career has unfolded in spaces where presentation, physical appearance, and precision are closely examined — from the Rockette line to the ballet stage — that decision connects directly to a larger message she has chosen to champion.
“Your Body Is Your Home”: Advocacy Born From Experience
There is another part of Hutsell’s story that deserves careful, respectful treatment. She has spoken publicly about overcoming an eating disorder and the pressures of perfectionism and body image that can accompany elite performance. Those experiences helped shape her community service initiative, “Your Body Is Your Home,” which centers on healthy self-worth, physical and mental wellness, and separating a person’s value from their physical appearance.
For the dance community, that conversation has particular resonance. The body is simultaneously a dancer’s instrument, means of expression, and physical home. Training can produce extraordinary strength and artistry — and environments centered heavily on appearance can also create real pressure. Hutsell’s advocacy allows those truths to exist in the same conversation, and to be met with honesty and care rather than silence.
Why This Matters
Body image and eating disorders are a serious, ongoing conversation in the dance world. Dance Mogul Magazine believes that conversation should be led by care, not fear — and that a dancer’s worth is never measured by appearance. Advocacy like Hutsell’s, and the wider work of eating-disorder support organizations, helps make that message louder.
Scholarships, Purpose, and What Comes Next
Hutsell’s next ambition, fittingly, stays connected to the body and to movement. Along with the national title, she received a $50,000 scholarship, and she has earned nearly $90,000 in scholarships overall through the Miss America Opportunity. She is putting that education to work: Hutsell is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences online at Liberty University, with the goal of becoming a physical therapist — a career that turns a lifetime of understanding how bodies move into helping others move well.
As Miss America, she will spend the coming year embodying the organization’s mission of “Empowering Women to Lead with Purpose,” traveling for speaking engagements, service, and advocacy. In her own words after the win, she looks forward to encouraging people of all generations to walk boldly in their purpose, pursue their wildest dreams, and never give up on themselves.
Why Regan Hutsell Matters to Dance Mogul Magazine
At Dance Mogul Magazine, we don’t cover Regan Hutsell because a dancer happened to win a pageant. We cover her because dance helped build the woman who became Miss America. Her discipline, stage presence, physical preparation, resilience, relationship with her own body, and years of performing professionally are not background details — they are the foundation of the story that ends in a crown.
Her journey also sits squarely inside our mission of empowerment and representation. From the ballet stage to the wider dance industry, from natural-hair representation to body-image advocacy, Hutsell embodies the through-line Dance Mogul Magazine returns to again and again: master your craft, honor where you come from, and use your platform to open doors for the next generation. Explore that full spectrum of movement culture across our Dance Styles Hub and our Exclusive Interviews.
Dance careers rarely move in straight lines. A dancer may become a teacher; a performer may become a choreographer; an artist may become an advocate, a physical therapist, or a national titleholder. Regan Hutsell’s path now stretches from ballet studios in Houston to Radio City Music Hall, to Birmingham Royal Ballet, to the Miss America stage. The settings changed. The preparation behind them did not.
What the Next Generation Can Learn From Regan Hutsell
Build the foundation first. Hutsell didn’t skip steps. Years of classical training, YAGP finals, and gold medals came before the Rockette line, and the Rockette line came before Birmingham Royal Ballet. The foundation is what makes every later stage possible.
Discipline transfers. The work ethic a dancer builds in the studio — showing up when no one is watching, taking correction, recovering from setbacks — is portable. It can carry you into a boardroom, a classroom, a clinic, or a national competition.
Your worth is not your appearance. In a field that constantly examines the body, Hutsell chose to advocate for healthy self-worth and to name her own struggles honestly. That courage is its own form of leadership.
Show up as yourself. By wearing her natural hair and standing in the gap for young women of color, Hutsell turned a personal choice into representation that matters. The next generation learns that authenticity is not a risk to your dream — it can be the heart of it.
Regan Hutsell — Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Regan Hutsell?
Regan Elizabeth Hutsell is a 25-year-old professional dancer from Houston, Texas, and the newly crowned Miss America 2027. She is a former Radio City Rockette and Birmingham Royal Ballet artist who competed as Miss Texas 2026.
Who won Miss America 2027?
Regan Hutsell of Texas won Miss America 2027. She was crowned the 99th Miss America on September 6, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida, succeeding Cassie Donegan.
Was Regan Hutsell a Radio City Rockette?
Yes. Hutsell joined the Radio City Rockettes in 2019 at age 18 and performed during that season. She has called dancing opening night at Radio City Music Hall her most enjoyable experience on stage.
Did Regan Hutsell dance with Birmingham Royal Ballet?
Yes. She joined Birmingham Royal Ballet as an artist in 2021, performed repertoire including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Romeo & Juliet, was part of the inaugural BRB2 in 2023, and left the company in 2025. She also danced with Ballet Rhode Island.
What dance did Regan Hutsell perform at Miss America?
She performed a jazz routine to “Le Jazz Hot,” which earned her the preliminary Talent award. She also won a preliminary Fitness award.
Is Regan Hutsell the first Miss America crowned with natural hair?
According to the Miss America Organization, yes — Hutsell is the first woman of color to win the Miss America crown while wearing her natural hair. She is also the 10th Black woman to win the title.
EXPLORE MORE
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The Story Continues
On September 6, years of preparation culminated in a crown. But viewed through the lens of dance, the more compelling story may be everything that prepared her to wear it — the studio in Houston, the Rockette line at Radio City, the ballet stages of Europe, and the quiet discipline behind all of it.
Regan Hutsell is Miss America 2027. And before America knew her as Miss America, she was a dancer. Dance Mogul Magazine will keep following her year of service — and we’d welcome the chance to tell the fuller story in her own words.
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