Laura Wade

 

Laura Wade was the Artistic Director of AKASHA Dance Company, commissioning original contemporary works from choreographers such as Claire Bataille & Ginger Farley (both of Hubbard Street), Austin Hartel (Pilobolus), Martin Kravitz (Batsheva), and Nora Reynolds (Lar Lubovitch). AKASHA toured the Midwest, England, danced at the Edinburgh Festival and performed their popular outreach programs for over 100,000 children through Urban Gateways. Ms. Wade was a soloist in Ruth Page’s The Nutcracker for fifteen years, and performed both ballet and modern works with David Dorfman, Scott Putman, Robin Lakes/ Rough Dance, Ballet Chicago, and Ballet Theatre of Chicago. Ms. Wade is on faculty at Northwestern University, the Lou Conte Dance Studio, and Visceral Dance Center; and teaches company class for River North Dance Company. For many years, she taught at the Ruth Page School of Dance and has been a frequent guest teacher of co. class for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, as well as a sought after teacher for workshops at Stephens College, University of Wisconsin-Madison and others throughout the country. As Assistant Artistic director for Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago for 4 years, Ms. Wade rehearsed the co., taught co. class, and led the co. on tours of the US, Germany, & Austria. Velta Cernonok and Marie Vogt were her early teachers in Toledo, Ohio. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, studying under Marina Svetlova and Nicolas Beriosov, before coming to Chicago to train with Larry Long.