CHARACTER INFORMATION
full name: Mackenzie Shae Newman
nickname(s) / goes by: Kenzie
pronouns & gender: cis woman, she/her
sexuality: Bisexual
birth date: April 5th, 1990
birth place: Merrock, Maine
arrival to merrock: Local, left at 13, returned 2020
housing: Condo in Downtown
occupation: Dance teacher at Slippers
work place: Slippers
family: Member of Newman family
relationship status: Single
filling connection: Newman sibling
EXTRA STUFF
does your character have pets?: Tabby cat named Tabitha
are there any connections to add to our page: Newman cousins/in-laws
did they attend / graduate from Merrock High School? if yes, what year did they graduate? No
did they attend / graduate from Merrock Community College? if yes, what year did they graduate / what did they study?: No
PERSONALITY
Mackenzie has always been an overly dedicated person to anything she takes on, never doing anything by halves. Being the first girl in the Newman family probably pushed her more towards being a girly-girl, to stand apart from her brothers. She has always been super hard on herself, setting super high standards and pushing herself more than anyone expects. Is a little closed off from accepting love, but trying to work on that.
BACKGROUND / BIO
triggering / sensitive content: eating disorder The fourth child in the Newman family and the first girl, Mackenzie always held herself to super high standards, and perhaps pushed herself to be more of a girly-girl because she was girl. Despite growing up on the blueberry farm, she was much more of an indoorsy person, and like her brothers, her parents' offered her any choice of after-school activities. She quickly found her place in ballet, thriving in the discipline and self-control that it took. When their mother passed away, Mackenzie retreated even further into herself, finding any excuse to be at the dance studio rather than at home. By age twelve, Mackenzie was begging to enter a dedicated ballet school, with her heart set on something in Europe. However, her father believed her too young for such a thing. At thirteen, he allowed her to attend a summer program at the Ellison Ballet school New York City. While she was there, she filmed an audition tape and sent it to several ballet schools in Europe, without her father's knowledge. When she received the acceptance letter from the Paris Opera Ballet School, she finally told him what she'd done, and once again begged to be allowed to go. With four teenagers already in the house and two more up and coming, he finally caved in. While Mackenzie was slightly sad to say goodbye to her family, she was thrilled to be able to pursue her dream. At first she called home weekly, but slowly that stretched to monthly, and then only on birthdays... She came home briefly a few years for Christmas, but preferred to stay close to her school and studios. Every day away from intense training felt like she was falling behind all the other dancers. After graduating, she was accepted into the very small Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, which consisted of only 30 dancers. It was a dream come true, and Mackenzie's name featured in many programs in her years with them. At twenty-five, however, with newer and younger dancers graduating, Mackenzie found herself released from the company, a devasting blow. She was lucky enough to find a place with a larger company in London, but it was around this time that her issues began. Already having lost a place to younger dancers, Mackenzie began pushing herself harder and harder, her strict diet becoming even more restrictive. It wasn't long before this became an eating disorder. Continuing to dance with such limited nutrition was completely unsustainable, and at just age twenty-nine, she suffered a career-ending knee injury. After this, she slipped into a deep depression that lasted more than half a year, until her family back home found out and insisted that come home. It took a few months, but she finally agreed, returning to Merrock. At first, she stayed at the family farm until she found herself a place Downtown. Therapy helped, and while she was resisted medications at first, she agreed to take them for a short while to help get herself back on track. When she was ready, she began teaching at Slippers, doing her best to help young dancers learn to enjoy dancing in a sustainable way, without the pressure and competitive nature. Now, Mackenzie hopes to one day have a family, though she worries it's too late, and that she's done too much damage to her body over the years.
