Biography

Lauran Stanis is a musical theatre professional and dance educator living and creating in Phoenix, Arizona. Before arriving in Phoenix, she experienced life as a professional on the road. A graduate of Millikin University with a BFA in musical theatre and a minor in dance, Lauran danced her way across the country performing in regional theatres and on the national tour of Swing! Favorite roles include “Anytime Annie” in 42nd Street, “Judy Turner” in A Chorus Line, “Lady Capulet” in Romeo and Juliet, and “Miss Flannery” in Thoroughly Modern Millie. 

Lauran currently teaches dance full-time at Metro Tech High School; a program she built from the ground up. She was named “Teacher of the Year” in 2018 on her campus and was just recently awarded the Kathy Lindholm Lane Arizona Dance Educator of the year in 2020. She currently serves on the Arizona Dance Education Organization board, is the Fine Arts department chair at Metro Tech, and is the leader of the dance teachers in the Phoenix Union High School District. 

Lauran earned her Master of Arts in Dance Education through the University of Colorado. Her thesis project, “To Get a Job in a Broadway Chorus, Go Into Your Dance:” Education for Musical Theatre Dance Professionals, researched the education, training, and experiences necessary to have a successful career in musical theatre dance. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Dance through Montclair State University where her special projects work focused on musical theatre dance styles and dance film.

Lauran also teaches and choreographs for numerous companies throughout the Valley including The Phoenix Theatre Company, Arizona Broadway Theatre, East Valley Children’s Theatre, Greasepaint Youth Theatre, Showtune Productions, and Childsplay. In recent years, she has had the pleasure of choreographing at The Palace Theatre in the Wisconsin Dells, Circa 21 in Rock Island Illinois, and Ft. Peck Summer Theatre.