I was fortunate to share a short road-trip with Laura as she came to us via Wisconsin, and she spoke so fondly of her time at Circus, of her wonder at the kids’ talents, and her appreciation of all the hard work required from the students, coaches and staff to achieve something so unique.  Her laughter is always just under the surface and extremely infectious.  The time simply flew by and before I knew it we were pulling into the Big Top parking lot and both excited to get to work.

I normally work in a quiet, focused dance studio teaching my students or choreographing on myself or a small group,
so to work with so many people – and so many distractions! – is refreshing.

While her resume is certainly impressive, and critics have called her both ‘dynamic’ and ‘striking’, it is her passion for combining education with dance and innovation that truly make her a whirlwind force.

“This year’s theme is especially enjoyable for me. The Nordic mythology is earthy and compelling, and is inspiring movement that is rhythmic and low to the ground. For one section, I’m drawing inspiration from the Haka, a movement ritual performed by the New Zealand rugby team before matches to intimidate their opponents. And while large groups are more tiring to work with, they allow a choreographer to create floor patterns which are especially interesting when viewed from above as in a big top.”