Biography
Laura Ann Smyth is a Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based dance artist, educator, choreographer, and scholar whose work bridges concert dance, jazz dance, higher education, and contemporary performance culture. A versatile performer and creator, she has worked professionally throughout Canada and the United States, appearing in acclaimed productions with leading artists and companies including JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble, with performances at iconic venues and festivals such as Jacob's Pillow and the Playboy Jazz Festival.
As a choreographer, Smyth creates work that merges rigorous artistic inquiry with embodied storytelling. Her choreography has been commissioned and presented by universities, pre-professional training programs, and professional dance companies across Southern California, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and beyond. Drawing upon her extensive experience in concert, jazz, and commercial dance traditions, her creative practice explores the intersections of history, identity, performance, and cultural expression.
An internationally recognized dance scholar and public intellectual, Smyth has presented research and invited talks at major conferences including the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), and the World Dance Alliance (WDA). Her scholarship examines jazz dance, commercial dance, dance pedagogy, and embodied rhetoric.
Smyth serves as Assistant Professor of Dance at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She is also co-host of the podcast LMU On Dance: Critical Conversations, where she and collaborator Taryn Vander Hoop engage with influential voices from across the global dance field, including celebrated artists such as Akram Khan and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.
Committed to cultivating dancers across professional and community settings, Smyth has taught extensively throughout North America and has been a Pure Barre instructor for more than a decade.
Accolades
Simonson Technique Teacher Training Certification and the Level 1Ailey Teacher Certification: Ailey Horton Technique through The Ailey School in New York City
BA in Sociology from the University of Calgary
Certificate in Journalism from Mount Royal University
MFA in Dance from UC Irvine
PhD in Dance Studies from Texas Woman's University.