Laura Stokes
Hi, I'm Laura - welcome! I am an experienced dance educator and have had the opportunity to teach children and adults all over the city of Pittsburgh for nearly 20 years. My two-fold purpose in bringing Dance Your Planet to schools was nurtured by my upbringing.
I grew up spending every day in the great outdoors. Raised in Puerto Rico, I had daily access to climb my backyard mango tree and enjoyed the open fields around me. My family frequently visited the ocean, which was my nursery and playground. In the summers, we would visit my grandparents in Germany, and spend our time at the lakes, rivers and mountains. I was a child of constant movement- always exploring my surroundings.
When I was 12, I discovered dance. The energy that I spent outdoors as a child was funneled into my newfound passion. I decided to get an undergraduate degree in dance from Slippery Rock University. My studies there launched my long career in dance education for both children and adults.
These two passions have merged into this new program, Dance Your Planet. I am committed to teaching students about how the study of nature can spark their creativity, and how discipline and effort through dance can in turn help them appreciate the natural world. This unique program will complement schools in promoting self-discipline, creativity, cooperation, and joy, which children will carry with them through all aspects of their lives.
I welcome you to contact me if you would like to bring this enrichment program to your school!
Curriculum Vitae
Instructional Experience in Dance for Children
Creative Movement and Intro to Ballet, 2015 - 2019
Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Alloy School, Pittsburgh, PA
Creative Movement and Physical Play, 2018
Home based private lessons, Pittsburgh, PA
Creative Movement, 2017
Homeschool Co-Op of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Creative Movement, 2009
Private home, Pittsburgh, PA
Creative Movement, 2009
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Outreach, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Pittsburgh, PA
Ballet, Hip Hop and Creative Movement, 2008 – 2009
Hope Academy of Music and the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh, PA
Creative Dance, 2002
Pennsylvania Dance Workshop, State College, PA
Additional Experience Teaching Children
Art and Assistant Teacher in Spanish Immersion Preschool, 2016 - 2018
Escuelita Arcoiris, Pittsburgh, PA
Monkeying Around, summer 2018
Summer Camp, Winchester Thurston North Campus, Allison Park, PA
Spanish Teacher, 2011- 2014
Montessori Children's Community, Sewickley, PA
Instructional Experience in Dance for Adults
Pittsburgh Contact Improvisation, 2018 – Present
Wilkins School Community Center, Pittsburgh, PA
The Contact Lab, 2015
Alloy Studios, Pittsburgh, PA
Fundamentals in post-modern dance and improvisation, 2015
Louhelen Baha’i School, Davison, Michigan
Fundamentals in post-modern dance and improvisation, 2014
Private home, Pittsburgh, PA
Latin dance, 2011-2013
Alloy Studios, the Hill District arts festival, and the Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh, PA
Contact Improv, 2014
PearlArts Studio, Pittsburgh, PA
Fundamentals in post-modern dance and improvisation, 2010
Home based private lessons, Pittsburgh, PA
Teaching of Dance, 2005
Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA
Education
A.S., Physical Therapist Assistant
Community College of Allegheny County — Pittsburgh, PA • Spring 2023
B.A., Dance
Slippery Rock University — Slippery Rock, PA • Fall 2006
Study Abroad: Spanish Language & Culture
Universidad de Costa Rica — San Pedro, Costa Rica • Fall 2006
Photo
Erik Louie. (2015). Laura Stokes portrait. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA