Meet Lauren | Best Tap Choreography Nominee & Winner
Meet Lauren
Best Tap Choreography Winner
RVA dance awards
I don’t know a life without dance. At 2.5 years of age, I told my mom I wanted to take dance, she enrolled me in my first class and I’ve never looked back! Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, I trained extensively in all genres at Chesterfield Dance Center, attended Appomattox for dance, and began teaching tap at CDC when I was 17. Post high school graduation, I majored in Social Work and minored in psychology at VCU, continued to teach at the studio, and moved to New York every summer to intensively train and immerse myself in the tap community. This was an exciting time in my life. Subletting an apartment and spending three months of the year living and breathing tap dance in the city that’s like no others was indescribable; I loved every second of it!
Shortly after college, I moved to New York City for two years. While living in NYC, I worked as a professional tap dancer in Undertoe Dance Project; performing in numerous shows and venues throughout the five boroughs and continued to train extensively with such greats as Lynn Schwab, Barbara Duffy, Michelle Dorrance, Danny Wallace, Andrew Nemr, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Jason Samuels Smith, Jared Grimes, and many others. I am beyond grateful to the amazing artists I was fortunate to study under. I will never forget when taking a private lesson with Michelle Dorrance, Michelle encouraging me to train with Lynn Schawb. Lynn soon became my mentor and trusted confidant. I credit Lynn for truly helping me to become the artist I am today. Her musicality and knowledge of how to use the body when tap dancing constantly challenged me both physically and mentally.
Looking back over 16 years of teaching, it’s amazing to think back to those days when I was so fresh and wildly passionate, and perhaps a little naïve to the complexities of teaching. It lights a different fire in you because you want to share your passion and give your students more than you had been given. My teaching style is strongly influenced by music as it is the driving force of my craft. I pride myself on the challenges I create for my students, and love watching the development of their growth within those challenges. This is my drive to continue this journey. The music and complexity is my spirit coming out and it ignites my passion day after day.
Fun Fact: I began taking drum lessons after college to further my music knowledge. Low and behold, I met my drummer husband, Bryan! Throughout our marriage, I have tapped while he has played, “battled” for more clarification, and even played percussion for the band, Party Crashers. Now I am sporting a lovely ViolinJ
