Rising Stars: Meet Presley Hawk of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Presley Hawk.

Presley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Los Angeles and was already influenced by entertainment. Fell in love with Musical theater and dance. It helped me explore my creativity but also kept me active. I had really bad ADD (attention deficit disorder) so it helped me cope and mange my body and emotions better. This love of dance and musical theatre led me to AMDA college and conservatory. I finished my BFA at the age of 20 and instantly started working. I got into my first dance company (Blue 13) which was an eye opening and fulfilling experience, but I could tell it wasn’t the life I wanted to live anymore. I realized I had a big passion for fitness. I started working as a Rowing instructor in 2021 and haven’t stopped. I finally got my personal training certification in late 2025 and am finally starting to find my new passion in personal training and boutique fitness. I realized over the past few years I love making others feel good about their bodies. I fell in love with the art of helping others. While dancing is still a huge part of my life, I realized I needed to find a new passion to keep my brain and body active. Evolving is a huge part of me, I love change, so after dancing for 20 years of my life I learned that it is not something I want to do for forever professionally but it will still be there for my own enjoyment.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I always had really bad anxiety. Whether I was in a room full of people at school or in dance class. The only thing I would think of is oh my goodness all of these eyes are judging me. It is an obstacle I still face to this day, but I am proud of my progress I have made.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been a rowing instructor for five years. It is the best job I could ever dream of having. It taught me how to command a room, find confidence in myself, and gave me the creative freedom to create new classes and exercise for all types of bodies.
One of my favorite parts of teaching group fitness is seeing all of the growth from individuals with different needs, a wide range of ages, and different goals. It is so exciting to see someone hit a milestone and continue to reach for more.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I was able to offer a wider variety of exercise before and after I got certified in personal training. Because of my dance background, I had pretty good body awareness, and after becoming certified, I was able to understand not only myself, but others as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presley.hawk?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Migs @e.m.a.photography
Jeanne Mam-luft