Lara Davis has served as Ballet Lubbock’s Director of Community Engagement since June of 2019. Originally from Atlanta, Lara began her dance training at age four at the Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance in Roswell, Georgia where she was a member of the pre-professional company Roswell Dance Theatre (RDT) for eight years. As a member of RDT, she trained in ballet, Horton and Graham modern, jazz, and contemporary. She has also pursued additional dance training with The Martha Graham School, American Ballet Theatre in Orange County, The Rock School, Joffrey Ballet NYC, Joffrey Ballet South, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, METdance Houston, Dance Canvas, Point Park University, Colorado Conservatory of Dance, the National Choreography Intensive, and the 2012 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program as a Dance Major. Lara studied abroad in Russia with the Voronezh Ballet in 2017.
Lara graduated with highest honors from the University of Georgia with Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies in Dance Science and a minor in Dance. Her honors thesis explored the topic of Injury Prevention in Ballet Training.
In Atlanta, Lara danced professionally with The Georgia Ballet, Watershed Dance Theatre, Dance Canvas, and Refuge Dance Company and taught at a number of studios in the metro-Atlanta area. Lara has participated in teacher workshops such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s Horton Teacher Training and Full Radius Dance’s Teacher Training, focusing on physically integrated dance (primarily dance using wheelchairs). Her choreography has been presented in a number of settings including for the stage and for film. Lara has presented pieces at the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association Festival (2013) and at the Dance Canvas 10th Anniversary Performance at the Ferst Center for the Arts (2018). Most recently, she choreographed and directed for the Texas Tech Scarlet Voce Choir’s Film Concert “I Have a Voice” (December 2020).
Prior to moving to Lubbock, Lara worked as Administrative Assistant to the Atlanta-based nonprofit Dance Canvas to support emerging professional choreographers and dancers in Atlanta. As Ballet Lubbock’s Director of Community Engagement, Lara is excited to inspire the community through accessible dance education and performances.