Sunshine Wilson

The Art of Performance & Dance

By Danielle Torry

For Sunshine Dzierzynski Wilson, dance is an art form that lives in the moment. It is shaped by breath, rhythm, and the electricity between performer and audience. Her work explores the art of performance as something both intentional and alive: movement as storytelling, costuming as character, and presence as the main medium. In St. Augustine, she has become known for creating spaces where performance feels welcoming, expressive, and deeply human.

Raised in a large working-class family, Sunshine learned early to create with what she had: homemade costumes, imaginative play, music in the background, and long hours outdoors. Those beginnings formed her instinct for performance: how a skirt can become a prop, how a gesture can hold meaning, how movement can say what words cannot. That understanding followed her through a degree in Parks and Recreation and years of community work, where she saw how creative experiences can build confidence and connection.

After moving to St. Augustine in 2011, she found her artistic home in the city’s performance scene. A pivotal moment came at a legendary Halloween event filled with aerialists and dancers, where she recognized performance as both craft and community. Mentorship and street performance taught her the essentials of the art: courage, resilience, and the discipline of showing up fully, even when the outcome is uncertain.

In 2016, she stepped into leadership of the troupe that evolved into Gypsy Players & Performers, offering free, inclusive movement experiences centered on intuitive expression. Skirts, parasols, flags, and handcrafted props become extensions of the body. These are the tools of choreography that create shape, drama, and flow. The focus isn’t competition; it’s artistry, embodiment, and the shared experience of being witnessed.

With her husband Ken, Sunshine co-founded SunKen Productions to produce community events that spotlight local musicians, dancers, and visual artists. Her signature project, The Enchanted Grove, captures her approach to performance, an immersive, nature-rooted, and story-driven, where character, costuming, music, and movement transform a space into a living scene.

You can find Sunshine performing throughout St. Augustine. She and her team are at galleries, restaurants, and events and bring the art of dance into everyday spaces. They turn ordinary settings into stages. Wherever she appears, performance becomes an invitation to pause, to feel, and to remember how powerful it is to be present.

Learn more and follow on Instagram @gypsy_players_performers

"Loving Our Town" March 6, 2026