Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Smith.
Lauren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My dream was always to open my ballet school. The opportunity presented itself and I decided to seize the moment and chase my dream. I decided to name the school California Pacific Ballet Academy. We specialize only in classical ballet training based on the Vaganova method. My good friend and colleague Christina Wurz agreed to come on board as my Resident Choreographer and Director of Dance Education. She has been an invaluable part of my journey, as her creativity and extensive knowledge of classical ballet technique is fundamental to providing the quality of training that we offer. The rest of my team is amazing as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not always been smooth. Taking the risk to open the business was scary at first and took a lot of courage. The build out process was also a steep learning curve, as building a ballet studio with the proper equipment is not something any of us had done before. Luckily we have a wonderful team here at CalPac who are also an amazing group of friends and have been so supportive.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Owner
Artistic Director
Instructor
Lauren Smith
Lauren began her classical ballet training as a child under the direction of Eugenia Keefer in San Marcos, CA. She continued her training with City Ballet in San Diego. One of the most formative experiences as a dancer was being accepted into the prestigious Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program, where she grew both as a ballet dancer and a young adult. Lauren attended college in Thousand Oaks, CA at California Lutheran University, where she continued her dancing throughout college as a member and captain of the CLU Dance Team. She took a break from dancing to start her family, and her passion was reignited for the art of classical ballet when she enrolled her eldest daughter at the age of 3, and Lauren began dancing and teaching again herself. Lauren absolutely loves sharing her passion for classical ballet with her students, while inspiring them to be the very best version of themselves.
Director of Dance Education & Resident Choreographer
Christina Wurz
Christina started her training at the Bronx Dance Theater, attended the world-famous New York City High School of Performing Arts (Regents Diploma recipient), and trained under John Magnus, Eleanor D’Antuono, Dorothy Lister (and more) during intensive study at the Joffrey Ballet School (Manhattan). She earned a BFA in Dance at the University of Hartford, Hartt School in Connecticut, where she trained under ballerina Alla Osipenko and Martha Graham protégé Peggy Lyman. Accomplishments include Mojalet Dance Collective, Full Force Dance Theater, BalletNeo, San Diego Dance Theater, Terry Wilson and Dancers, Burklyn Ballet Theater, Dance Connecticut’s touring ensemble, and West Coast Ballet Theater. She is currently working on getting her masters in Exercise Science with a focus on strength and conditioning. She plans to use this to help each student maintain optimal performance and prevent injury.
What matters most to you? Why?
The dancers matter to me most. We take their training and mental and physical well being very seriously. It’s a big responsibility to ensure that they are learning quality ballet technique while maintaining a healthy and positive culture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.calpacballet.com
- Instagram: @calpacballet
