Nia Bowers
Trained at The Royal Ballet School, Laura-Jane Fenney is a renowned performer and choreographer with world-class experience. Her journey from extraordinary talent to dancer to dance instructor is notable and continues to inspire aspiring professionals throughout the United Kingdom. By empowering the next generation, Laura-Jane continues to have an impact in the realm of dance.
An Early Aptitude for Dance
Laura-Jane started dancing at the young age of two, with her mother’s support. As the owner of a dance studio, Laura-Jane’s mother trained her in the craft until she was 10, at which point she successfully auditioned for The Royal Ballet School. In an industry largely overpopulated, especially with women, Laura-Jane found herself among only 12 dancers permitted to attend the school.
“I believe that it is with true grit and determination that I [made it] to such an amazing place,” Laura-Jane recalled. “There are many, many talented people out there who all deserve it, but I have grafted [worked] hard, put in so many hours to hone my skill set… There will always be knockbacks, but I believe resilience is so important.”
Growing Through Mission: Inspire
After years of training and performance, Laura-Jane realized she wanted to transition her expertise into education and creation. Exiting The Royal Ballet School, she soon found an opportunity to launch her own company, Mission: Inspire. With this company, Laura-Jane began the next phase of her career as a dance instructor and an expert choreographer.
To date, Laura-Jane has worked for several notable colleges around the U.K., as well as large dance conventions such as Can You Dance? and Movelt. Wherever she went, the classes were never empty. Building on this, Laura-Jane began teaching at prestigious schools such as Pineapple Dance Studios, Base Dance Studios, and the Manor; by this point, she had gained real prominence.
“I was asked to create choreography for The National Diversity Awards,” Laura-Jane stated. “This was a huge moment in my life, because the piece was a true celebration of diversity and inclusivity in the arts… I then went on to choreograph for Britain’s Got Talent, and the group piece ‘Unity’ was Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer Choice.”
A Valuable Lesson
Seemingly moving from success to success, Laura-Jane has learned to never give up on her dreams. By working with dedication and creativity, she has never taken a ‘no’ as an outright rejection, but as a chance for redirection. With each performance and class, Laura-Jane finds a way to improve her own skill set and impart new lessons to others. Proactivity, she argues, is key to staying at the top of one’s game.
Chasing New Opportunities
Recently, Laura-Jane was given the opportunity to instruct Royal Caribbean cast members on their cruises. She expects that she could take the role and continue to grow with the company, perhaps creating new shows to perform on the ships. At the same time, she hopes to retain her role as an educator at dance conventions in the United States or possibly choreograph a Broadway show.