Live to Dance: Laura’s Story

If you’ve read Live to dance, Dance to Live then you will know that this is the second installment of four little girls who became dancers. I met them in Paphos, Cyprus. So, meet Laura Walker

 

Source: https://www.starnow.co.nz/laurawalker16#photos

Source: https://www.starnow.co.nz/laurawalker16#photos

Laura grew up in Rolleston, New Zealand, when she was eight years old she attended a ‘bring-a friend day’ at a local Jazz class The Ballet Academy run by Melissa Jarman  who became,not only a great inspiration to Laura but a mentor and lifelong friend. I had the pleasure of communicating with Melissa recently and I quote. “It has been my absolute pleasure to have taught Laura all these years. As you have seen she is an incredible person who has always had a complete dedication to her dancing and I am very proud of her.” Fine words indeed 🙂 The bottom left hand picture, taken from Melissa’s website, features Laura (top right). Laura loved the classes and over a period of seventeen years expanded her repertoire to ballet, hip hop and musical theatre even teaching classes to the little ones.

 

Courtesy of: http://www.theballetacademynz.co.nz/

Courtesy of: http://www.theballetacademynz.co.nz/

At eighteen Laura had a difficult decision to make. A career in dance or to enrol at university. Fortunately she possessed more than one talent and decided on both. She spent  three years studying hard at University while attending dance classes everyday, which was no mean feat, but her hard work and dedication was justly rewarded when she achieved her Bachelor of Commerce in Information Systems. Now it was time to dance! Full time dance schools are rare in New Zealand so Laura applied to schools in Australia securing a place at Ettingshausens in Sydney, where she began her journey that would see her travelling thousands of miles to fulfill her dream of becoming a dancer.

 

Source: https://www.starnow.co.nz/laurawalker16#photos

Source: https://www.starnow.co.nz/laurawalker16#photos

Source: https://www.starnow.co.nz/laurawalker16#photos

Laura says that the Dance Industry is super competitive and aware that work in Australia and New Zealand was limited she travelled to Europe working on various dance contracts in Rhodes, Greece. In 2017 Laura travelled once more, this time to London where she lived with a cousin for two months and auditioned for everything. Once again her tenacity paid off, auditioning at the famous Pineapple Dance Studio she gained employment in Paphos, Cyprus with Top Dog Entertainment  who specialise in providing First Class Entertainment to a variety of venues and hold regular auditions at Pineapple Dance Studio  in London. It was in Paphos that I saw Laura dancing as part of a foursome which inspired my original Live to Dance post.

 

Laura says. “I am very lucky that I have a career that allows me to see the world, and my next goal would be to get on a cruise ship, so that I can continue to explore! Also in a few years, I would like to combine my dance experience with my university work, and develop IT systems to help the dance industry, for example a system that makes it easier for dance schools to manage enrolments, or for companies to manage auditions more efficiently.” But for the present with her dedication and indomitable spirit I think Laura will continue to flourish on dance stages around the world  🙂

 

Source: http://www.dance4eva.co.nz/

Source: http://www.dance4eva.co.nz/

Source: http://www.dance4eva.co.nz/

Source: http://www.dance4eva.co.nz/