Laura
Stilwell
- DANCE BIO
Meet Portland Oregon-based performing artist, band leader, jazz vocalist, recording artist, choreographer, coach, instructor and workshop coordinator — Laura Stilwell.
Choreography & Teaching Biography
BALLET TRAINING
Trained in ballet with Jacqueline Schumacher, Nanette Charisse, and Finis Jhung.
JAZZ AND MODERN DANCE TRAINING
Trained in jazz and modern dance with Jaime Rogers, Claude Thompson, Phil Black, Les Watanabe, Jose Meier, Nat Horne, Denise Jefferson, and Fred Benjamin at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center.
DANCE ALIVE! DANCE COMPANY
OWNER/DIRECTOR
Established her own professional dance company, “Dance Alive!” at the age of twenty.
DANCE COMPANY TENURES
Performed in two Northwest dance companies: N.W. Repertory Dance Co. and Joe Orlando Dance Theatre.
COMMERCIAL DANCE CREDITS
Performed in music videos and NHK television commercials.
THEATER PRODUCTIONS
Performed in International tours of “Evita”; Regional productions of “Me and My Girl”, “West Side Story”, “Pirates Of Penzance”, “Pacific Overtures”, and held the lead role of Abuela in, “In The Heights”.
CHOREOGRAPHER CREDITS—
OFF BROADWAY
Theatre 80 at St. Mark’s, Lambs Theatre, The Supper Club/Edison Theater, Blue Angel Theatre, 13th Street Repertory Theatre, St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery.
DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER CREDITS
The Supper Club/Edison Theater, Blue Angel Theatre, The Ibis Supper Club, The USO of Metropolitan New York.
ADDITIONAL CHOREOGRAPHY
Leone Dance Theatre, New Line Cinema, The Rainbow Room – Rockefeller Center, Nu Shooz – Atlantic Records.
DANCE TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Jazz and musical theater instructor at Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT), Jefferson High School of Performing Arts, ‘Stage 7’ – San Diego, Orlando Ballet-New York, Bridge For Dance – NYC, The Dancers Workshop – Portland, Portland Park Bureau, Portland Community College, Stumptown Stages, Rosemary Anderson High School – dance & theater arts, The Aspire Project, and Polaris Dance Theatre.