About Us
Our studio is committed to educating our students in the field of dance while at the same time building self-confidence and nurturing their personal growth. We place great value on every student as an individual and as a member of our dance family. We do our very best to bring to our dancers a high quality of technical training, performance opportunities, and other learning skills while at the same time instilling a sense of discipline, a drive for perfection and the ability to work in and be part of a group.
Laurie's School of Dance opened it's doors in 1968 with one instructor and owner. We now have five talented and gifted teachers on staff and are celebrating season 54! In the beginning, there were always two studios, one located in Forest Lake and the other in White Bear Lake, until we consolidated in 1999. Now located in Centerville, it is a great spot for students to the north and south of us while providing easy access to the growing communities of Hugo and Centerville.
Laurie's School of Dance opened it's doors in 1968 with one instructor and owner. We now have five talented and gifted teachers on staff and are celebrating season 54! In the beginning, there were always two studios, one located in Forest Lake and the other in White Bear Lake, until we consolidated in 1999. Now located in Centerville, it is a great spot for students to the north and south of us while providing easy access to the growing communities of Hugo and Centerville.
Meet the Staff
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Laurie Sanftner
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Laurie started her studios in the Forest Lake and White Bear areas in 1968, teaching 31 years before settling in Centerville in 1999. She has also taught for other studios, judged pageants and choreographed many high school and community theater productions, along with raising her three daughters with husband Dennis. Laurie attends annual conventions locally and nationally to keep current on the study of dance.
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Dee Angellis
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Dee started taking lessons at Laurie's' School of Dance in 1970 and started assisting after high school. She has been a teacher here for the past 31 years. Dee lends an artistic touch to the studio as well as fun and exciting choreography!
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Mandy Mattson
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Mandy, the oldest daughter of Laurie, has been dancing since the age of 3, choreographing and helping with classes through high school and has been in charge of the Competition Lines at the studio for the past 18 years. Her groups have won numerous awards and her challenging, original choreography is always unique and entertaining!
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Blair Insley
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Blair started dancing at the age of 3 and began competing at the age of 8. She came to Laurie's in 2003 where she danced competitively for 4 years. Blair was a teaching assistant for both recreational and technique classes for 8 years and is now the Jazz and Lyrical choreographer for our competitive lines. Her teaching style and choreography is fast paced and disciplined, but fun!
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Courtney Hope
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Courtney Hope has danced professionally in the Bay Area with companies such as Fullstop dance, PUSH dance, Robert Moses' KIN and performed works by Sidra Bell and Khala Brannigan. She has danced on stage at the Chase center in San Francisco and co-choreographed a piece shown at ODC theatre, also in San Francisco. She is trained in a combination of ballet, contemporary, contemporary floorwork, modern, jazz and hip hop for 25 years. She is a recent transplant to the Twin Cities and can't wait to learn all about the arts in Minnesota. She is excited to join the LSOD family!
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