Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Davis.
Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My introduction to dance was much like other children my age. As a young child, I had loads of personality but was always extremely shy and hesitant to let that fiery personality come out. Hence began my formal dance training at the age of 5 when my mother enrolled me in dance in hopes that an extracurricular activity would help to bring me out of my shell. In my case, mother knew best, as I latched onto dance and discovered my love for performing and storytelling.
From an early age, I valued versatility in my dancing. My dance training began initially with ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and modern at a studio in Plano, Texas for many years before I decided to take dance more seriously upon reaching high school. I then transferred to a studio where I could have the best of both worlds by training intensively in ballet and being a part of an annual Nutcracker production in the fall and then taking on the competition scene in the spring, where I became exposed to all styles of dance.
I received countless awards and scholarships in both the ballet and competition realms, and I have been fortunate enough to travel both nationally and internationally to attend summer intensive programs in dance and jazz/contemporary styles. Throughout my teens, I attended summer programs such as American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey New York (Ballet), Joffrey Southwest (Jazz and Contemporary), Burklyn Ballet Theatre (on multiple scholarships), the Alonzo King LINES Discovery Project, and most recently, the Glenda Brown Choreography Project in Kansas City, Missouri, where I attended as a choreographer on a scholarship from the Dance Council of North Texas. I also had the opportunity to fly to Scotland to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world. There, I performed the roles of the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit in Burklyn Ballet Theatre’s production of Alice in Wonderland.
Grades were always extremely important to me, as I have been something of a perfectionist since being placed in the Gifted and Talented Program at age 5. I graduated from Allen High School in the top 7% of my class of 1551 students, while still committing up to 35 hours a week to my dance training. I ended up accepting an offer to attend Studio School Los Angeles’ Commercial Dance program on a hefty scholarship, as I wanted to be able to continue to train in all styles of dance after graduating. I did not want to be limited to only one style of dance to get a degree in, as is usually the case for college dance programs, so I was drawn to Studio School’s Commercial Dance program, which offers almost every conceivable genre of dance.
Since leaving my life behind in Texas to move to Los Angeles to pursue my dance career, I am now trained in a wide variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, modern, pointe, contemporary ballet, hip hop, jazz-funk, heels, contemporary, lyrical, ballroom, and even cultural dances such as hula, Bollywood, and African. In addition to my dance studies at Studio School, I have developed a deep passion for acting as well. While in college, I have performed in LA Dance Fest, danced in a national Apple Inc. commercial, modeled for CBS’s “Star Trek Discovery,” and danced in numerous Studio School productions and video shoots, all while working through an injury that required surgery.
Managing pain while getting an education has taught me the importance of a safe and preventative approach to training at the professional level. Throughout college, I have discovered the importance of cross-training to prevent/rehab injuries, which has tremendously enhanced my dancing and helped me to become stronger. I have become much wiser through my experience, and I hope to pass on my knowledge of the body and proper technique to future generations of dancers. I have always had a deep love for children, so upon graduating summa cum laude from Studio School at the end of this semester, I will continue to spread my passion for the arts by performing and teaching/mentoring younger dancers with wisdom and kindness.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
For the past two and a half years, I have been working through an Achilles injury that left me benched off and on for roughly half of my college career. Worried that my dance career was over before it ever truly began, I did everything I could to rehab and take care of myself so that I could come back stronger than ever. Surprisingly, when I was finally able to dance mostly full out again come my junior year, I was a new dancer. By nature, I am rather self conscious, so I always had a hard time “letting go” in my dancing and letting the artist I shine through in my movement, in fear of being judged or criticized. The nature of the entertainment industry is harsh to say the least, and my inner perfectionist had a hard time developing the thick skin needed to survive and thrive in it. For some reason, having surgery helped me to break down those walls that had previously held me back for so long—perhaps getting so close to never being able to dance again lit the fire underneath me that I always needed. Since then, I LOVE and feel comfortable in every single style of dance, which is not something that every dancer can say, so I am very lucky that I finally found my way when the odds seemed to be stacked against me for so long.
Tell us more about your work.
Lauren Ruth Davis is a freelance artist who is a trained dancer, actor, and choreographer, who provides her community with work that is both unique and entertaining. Lauren’s choreographic work is sophisticated, quirky, and witty, rather like her personality.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I haven’t had the best of luck throughout my seventeen years as a dancer. I kept finding myself in environments that were toxic at times, which usually forced me back into the shell I had worked so hard to come out of. The road to success is indeed a lonely one, as I found out the more accolades I acquired along the way. As much as I love being around others who share my passions, it has been difficult finding real friends who stick around and know how to uplift others for their successes, not tear them down. Ultimately, this has made me stronger by forcing me to learn how to exude confidence from within, and not from receiving praise, acceptance, or validation from others.
Pricing:
- Solo Choreography Rate: $250 (includes 3 private sessions to learn choreography)
- Duo/Trio Choreography Rate: $300 (includes 3 group sessions to learn choreography)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laurenrdavis.com
- Phone: 2147998753
- Email: davislaurenruth@gmail.com
- Instagram: @laurenruthdavis
Image Credit:
Louse Flores Photography
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