GSA Alumni Highlight: Lauren Dobson
Year attended GSA: 2003
Discipline: Creative Writing
College: University of Louisville, Class of 2008
Degree: English
Graduate Work: University of Louisville, Masters of Arts in Teaching (in progress)
Current home: Louisville, KY
Since attending The Kentucky Center Governor's School for the Arts in the summer of 2003 for Creative Writing, I have undergone some interesting transformations. I definitely went back to my high school with renewed sense of self and appreciation for my own ability to write. After high school, I received my degree in English from the University of Louisville in December of 2008 and began my graduate work in Education in June of 2009. I will be graduating in May 2012 with my Masters of Arts in Teaching and hope to teach high school English.
But…that’s all the boring stuff. The really fun stuff started happening the summer after my senior year in high school. I started belly dancing in the summer of 2005 under the instruction of Tahira, a local belly dancer who had been dancing for decades. Instant addiction. The subtle hand motions, the soft flow of the undulating bellies, the sharp percussive hip movements—everything about this dance appealed to me.
Since 2005 I have continued to dance and now perform with Samovar Dance Company and Samovar East, both of which are run by Ruric-Amari. I study three styles of belly dance as well as Indian and Tahitian dance. I have come to be a member of a community of strong, educated women dedicated to bringing different styles of ethnic dance to the Louisville arts scene.
GSA played a large role in my growth over the past several years. During those short weeks at the Transy campus, I learned to embrace other art forms and understand how they can inspire my work as a creative writer. I also learned how to be a member of a community of artists, rather than just work towards my individual growth. GSA really helps push people out of that “It’s me and only me” mentality and create a sense of community, which becomes so vital if one wants to remain moving as an artist in any format. The tools that GSA gave me flow through my dance and my everyday life, allowing me to move smoothly from one aspect to another, accepting and enjoying the nuances of the arts one can find on a day-to-day basis.
For more information about belly dancing or classes here in Louisville, please feel free to contact me at ldobs01@gmail.com or visit www.Ruric-Amari-Dance.com.
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