Laura Payne

Laura Payne is an experienced performer, choreographer and dance educator. A graduate of The Governor's School for the Arts in Virginia and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, she earned her BFA in Modern Dance Performance and received the Top Choreographer award of her graduating class. She has performed professionally with Group Motion, The Virginia Opera, and was both a performer and a choreographer of Second Wind Dance Co.

 

In addition to performing she was on adjunct faculty at TRDance Center and Old Dominion University and was a resident choreographer and instructor for The Masterworks Dance Company and Academie de Ballet.

 

In recent years Laura has traveled the east coast teaching master classes and setting her award winning choreography for multiple competition teams. She has enjoyed being a dance adjudicator for 7 yrs and is celebrating her 5th season with WCTE. She was honored to be a guest master class instructor for the World Class Talent's Nationals event in Mystic, CT as well as a guest instructor for Artthrumuvmnt Dance Day in 2022.

 

To compliment her experience in the arts, this year she is celebrating her 20th year as a certified massage therapist which has enhanced her knowledge on how to help dancers with injury prevention and proper body mechanics. She resides in Virginia Beach with her husband and 2 boys where she is on staff choreographing for an elite competition team.