ARTIST BIO

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Laura Wade has been on faculty at Visceral Dance Center since 2009. She has taught at the Lou Conte Dance Studio, Ruth Page Center, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, Barat College, Stephens College (MO), University of Wisconsin-Madison, Essex Dance Theatre (England), and MoMing Dance and Arts Center. As Rehearsal Director and/or Company Ballet Teacher Ms Wade has worked with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, River North Dance Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago, and Visceral Dance Chicago. 

 

As a performer, she long danced the Coffee duet and Cantiniere Doll in Ruth Page’s The Nutcracker, at Arie Crown Theatre, under the direction of Larry Long, and performed both ballet and modern works with David Dorfman, Scott Putman, The Moose Project, Ballet Espanol of Louisville, Robin Lakes/Rough Dance, Ballet Chicago, and Ballet Theatre of Chicago. 

 

Ms Wade was the Artistic Director of AKASHA Dance Company for 9 years, leading the company on tours of the Midwest, England, and Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival. The company commissioned original works from leading artists- Claire Bataille (Hubbard Street), Martin Kravitz (Batsheva), Austin Hartel (Pilobolus), Nora Reynolds (Lubovitch), Ginger Farley (Hubbard Street), Poonie Dodson and many others. Early innovators in dance outreach, the company performed and taught for over 100,000 students throughout the Midwest. 

 

Growing up in Toledo, OH, she began her training with Velta Cernonok. As a member of the Toledo Ballet, under the direction of Marie Vogt, she danced many featured roles in ballets including Les Patineurs, Old King Cole, and The Nutcracker. 

 

Her training continued at Indiana University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Education and performed works by Nicolas Beriosov, Marina Svetlova, Colin Russell, and Anna Paskevska. Other important influences have been Warren Conover, Nana Shineflug, Maya Plisetskaya, Patricia Neary, and Bella Lewitzky.