Meet Dancer Extraodinaire:
LaNeese
Submitted by: LaNeese Ray
Born and raised in Queens, NY,
LaNeese’s love for the world of entertainment developed at an early age. LaNeese was put in many extra-curricular
activities when she was little but dance
was the activity she was the most passionate about. Her mother who aspired
to be a dancer when she was a child
had put LaNeese in dance classes at
the age of 4. LaNeese studied ballet
and African dance at The Ailey School.
She expanded her horizons by adding
modern, jazz, tap, musical theatre and
hip hop to her dance training. By the
time she was 10, she knew she wanted
to pursue a career as a professional
dancer.
In 2005, she was accepted into Frank
Sinatra School of Arts founded by
Tony Bennett. While attending Sinatra,
she was able to study with companies
such as American Ballet Theatre, Alvin
Ailey, Martha Graham, New York City
Ballet, and Robert Battle and perform
at famous venues such as City Center,
Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, and the Metropolitan Opera. These
were places that dancers dreamed to
dance in. It was during her high school Her biggest highlight in Greensboro,
years that she also started to venture
was opening up for recording artist Jaoff into being a choreographer.
cob Latimore. She’s definitely heading
on the right path to success, LaNeese
She continued her training and then
strives to accomplish a whole lot more
moved to Greensboro, NC to start
once she graduates from college. “If I
college at North Carolina A&T State
want to be great, I need to learn from
University double majoring in Liberal
the best, to give it my best .No matter
Studies with a concentration in Dance what happens in my career, knowing
and Journalism and Mass Communica- that I gave it everything will make me
tions with a concentration in Media
happy.” She is currently teaching Hip
Management. While attending college, Hop and Contemporary Dance every
she has been able to dance and choWednesday and Friday at Daliana
reograph for independent artists and
Dance and Jazz every Saturday at Reteach dance workshops, in the North
vamp Contemporary. Both are located
Carolina Triad area.
in Greensboro, NC.
Photographer: Joseph Bradley
Hair/Make-Up: Amber Webster
Wardobe: Carina Cole
Photographer: Tory Bass of
Art