We recently connected with Lauren Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

The last time I really asked myself if I should have a “regular job” was this past summer. I was feeling like I had reached a dead end in both photography and dance, even though I had just graduated college a year before. When I first moved to Chicago after graduating, my plan was to pursue a career as a photographer and professional dancer. Photography was going to provide the income I needed that dance wasn’t. When 2022 came along, I was really struggling to keep both dance and photography of equal importance in my career. I would spend a lot of energy on creating my photography business, and would forget to look at what was happening in the dance scene. Then I would spend more time going to auditions and class, which left me feeling like I was giving up on my desire to have a photography business. I felt as if I were failing at both. I wasn’t getting as many clients as I would have liked and every company I auditioned for was telling me “no”. I was almost to the point of giving up.

Then I took a step back and really asked myself what I wanted to be doing. Was it a regular job? Did I want to go back to school? Did I want to drop dance? Did I want to give up photography?

But I wasn’t ready to stop dancing. I have been dancing since I was three. I love going to class. I love the hard work that comes with the medium. I love the feeling of accomplishment after class . I love having something that was completely for me. I love having a COMMUNITY. And I love movement. I decided it was time to put photography on the back burner, and chase after what I really moved to Chicago to do. I haven’t dropped photography completely, but I am not forcing this business to happen right away. Dance fulfills me and is allowing me to build a community, while I slowly bring in clients and build my photography business.

It had finally clicked. I wasn’t going to rush these two careers. I was going to do life as a creative at my own pace. Whatever was meant to happen would happen.

This shift in mindset led me to a position as a company member with Alluvion Dance Chicago! And I did have to get a part time job in retail, but I am able to continue being a creative. At my own pace.

So had you asked me a few months ago if I was happy as a creative, my answer would be “no”. If you asked me now, it’s a definite “yes”.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a dancer based in Chicago, IL. Currently, I am dancing with Alluvion Dance Chicago as a company member, and am continuing to work as a freelance artist on projects with other Chicago artists. In my first year post-grad, I was fortunate to work with Chicago artists Stefany Cotton, Sydney Jones, and Haley Tarling, as well as perform in an episode of Robyn Mineko-Williams’ Undercover Episodes.

In addition to dancing, I teach at Des Plaines School of dance and work as a photographer. In 2020, my work in photography turned from hobby to small business. I am a self-taught photographer who specializes in dance and movement-based photos, but is working to connect with artists of all mediums.

My offerings in my photography business are geared toward the creative. I offer headshots and what I call “artist sessions”, a 1-1.5 hour session where I collaborate with an artist (mostly dancers) to create images that speak to them. My goal is to capture artists wherever they are at in their creative journey, to help them see just how unique they are and to help fuel the continuation of their artistic journey. It’s hard to be an artist, and I really enjoy celebrating everyone I work with.

Everything I am doing today originally started when my mom put me into dance when I was three. Let’s just say once I stepped foot in a studio, I was never out of one. I continued my dance education through high school at a Dance Xplosion and in a pre-professional company called X2. After high school I went on to Western Michigan University (WMU), where I received my BFA in dance and a minor in general business. I was ready to explore the professional world once graduation came along in May 2021, so I moved to Chicago and began taking classes and auditioning. It wasn’t until this past September I got my first “yes” from Alluvion Dance Chicago.

It wasn’t until my first portrait session that I thought about combining my knowledge of dance with photography. I had a friend ask me to take some headshots for her that she needed for an upcoming audition. We found a corner of the art building on our campus and snapped a few shots. I immediately went back home and started editing. I had always had an interest in photography, from the day I got my first little blue digital camera, to the Christmas my dad got me a Fujifilm FinePix S Series, to my first starter camera, a Canon EOS 77D. But that portrait session helped me realize I loved having another medium to express myself aside from dance. My photography had a substantial amount of growth in 2020 when I was back at school for my senior year, where most of my classmates knew I had this other passion. I decided to run with it, because what could be better than bringing two things you love together.

I definitely think that having a background in dance and still having a career in dance has set me apart from many dance photographers. I find that it is easier for dancers to communicate with me about movement because I know movement. I know the body. I am able to direct them in a way that a dance instructor would. There isn’t this barrier of knowledge, or lack thereof, when I am with a client. Another aspect I pride myself on, is my efforts in connecting with my clients before we arrive at our session. Before each session, I send my clients questions to help me generate movement prompts for them, as well as help them understand why they are requesting a session in the first place. My sessions run like an improvisation class. I act as a guide, prompting them with words and phrases they shared with me prior to the session while my clients are generating material/movement in response to the words I am saying. This really helps me capture their whole being, rather than placing specific poses that may not feel natural to them. I truly think it leads to some amazing collaborations.

I am proud of myself for keeping dance and photography in my life. I need dance because it is a part of me, almost like another limb. Photography allows me to do something for others. It allows me to appreciate others’ work, and it allows me to show others just how necessary art is in the world.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

To put it simply, be supportive and allow your mind to be open. Attend a show, read a book, visit the gallery, attend the art fair, try a new restaurant, visit a local store. I believe that art goes well past a paint brush, a keyboard, or a stage. The chef at the restaurant you eat at frequently creates a meal from simple ingredients. Your local store has worked hours creating most, if not all, aspects of their business, from their logo to their product. Support those around you whether that is monetarily, through a follow, leaving a review, or recommending a business or a piece of work. More people are creatives than you think, and I think that is a wonderful thought.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is having the ability to connect with such a wide group of humans, and never connecting with one the same way you would connect with another. Sure it may be similar, but it’s never the same. When I was creating a dance for film my senior year of college, my dancers and I talked a lot about our connection to the piece. I began by telling them my original starting point and how I connected to this feeling, but I wanted them to connect in their own way. Some of our thoughts over lapped, but they also provided me with feelings, ideas, and language I wouldn’t have thought of using. The same thing happens with my clients. They provide me their thoughts, I pull out language that resonates with me, and use that to help me generate images and prompts that have not crossed their mind. The individuality of it all is fascinating. And yet, with all of these unique characteristics one brings to a dance for film or a still image, we bond and become a community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laurendebragrace.com
• Instagram: @bylaurendebragrace

Image Credits
Shot for Alluvion Dance Chicago by Michelle Reid Peter Hinsdale Alyssa Park Lauren Smith