Virtual Studio Member Spotlight: Laura Dawson

I started dancing when I was four years old. My dance teacher was doing a letterbox drop around my suburb and I took it upon myself to have a chat, find out about the studio and then bug my mum until she enrolled my sister and me. It didn’t take long – we were enrolled before the letterbox drop was complete! you start dancing?

 

Dancing is everything to me, it’s as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist when I’m in the studio or any dancing space. It’s a great physical and mental outlet for me and I just love it. I love that there’s a shared language in the studio, it doesn’t matter where you’ve come from or who you are. It’s not a competition, it’s just a space for everyone to come together and dance the best version of themselves.

In addition to my “day job” I also teach a few afternoons at a local studio and school. I find maintaining classes as a student helps to keep me fit and inspired by new choreography, as well as continuously developing myself as a teacher in seeing the approach of other fantastic professionals.

I’ve tried a bit of everything! My favourites are the lyrical and contemporary classes. I also love theatre jazz Sunday’s with Daniel Dolling and having a laugh with Ramon.

I have even tried to tame my inner ballet with a few hip-hop classes… perhaps not so successfully!

Q. What has been the most valuable advice given by your teacher in class?

In lyrical class with Dale Pope, we are encouraged to set our intention for the class and I love this concept. It allows you to accept the day for what it was as an individual and to seek your own motivation or purpose for the class.

It makes you feel as if you have succeeded in every dance class because you are in control of what you are setting out to achieve- be it pushing yourself to achieve a certain technique or perhaps even just enjoying the calm.

Dale also offers an intention when you just can’t think it through on that day. It’s a beautiful idea that centres you ready for class.

In lyrical class with Dale Pope, we are encouraged to set our intention for the class and I love this concept. It allows you to accept the day for what it was as an individual and to seek your own motivation or purpose for the class.

It makes you feel as if you have succeeded in every dance class because you are in control of what you are setting out to achieve- be it pushing yourself to achieve a certain technique or perhaps even just enjoying the calm.

Dale also offers an intention when you just can’t think it through on that day. It’s a beautiful idea that centres you ready for class.

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I live in Newcastle, NSW and so it’s not easy to regularly get to the Ultimo studios. While I love coming to the studio, the Virtual Studio allows the opportunity to engage in quality, adult dance education at home with a range of classes offered across the week for people of all different ability levels. That’s hard to find locally in regional NSW.

Virtual Studio classes are offered regularly and there’s a great variety of class styles on offer for different experience levels. You can pick and choose what suits you on any given day, and the app is a wonderful way to check out the timetable and book into classes you’d like to take.

Camera on or camera off, you can enjoy dance classes at your own pace with no judgement. The teachers are qualified, full of life and encouraging. My experience of the classes is that there are people of all levels in attendance, just giving it their best shot.

I try to take a different class each week to make sure I’m challenging myself with new styles of dance or different teachers but I do admit to loving my usual routine of classes!

The virtual classes will appeal to everyone from the experienced dancer to those experiencing dance for the first time, it’s a welcoming and engaging experience where you are in control of the class for yourself.

For adult dancers who may not have regular access to classes in their home town, it’s an opportunity to maintain your technique and fitness with brilliant teachers.
If you’ve ever considered dance but haven’t had the confidence to leap into the physical studio, this is a great opportunity to try it out – I think you’ll fall in love! It’s cheaper than a gym session and a lot more fun! My recommendation is to start with a beginner jazz class with Ramon… you’ll smile, you’ll laugh and you’ll never look back!