Laura Smith, a Hartland native, is the owner and artistic director of Hartland Dance Academy and the Hartbeats Competitive Dance Company. She began her journey in dance at the age of four. She studied dance for 15 years, competed as a company dancer and taught ballet, tap and jazz. Laura graduated from Oakland University with degrees in Elementary Education and Dance. She was a dancer and choreographer for Oakland University’s Oakland Dance Theater. Laura also graduated from the Second City Detroit Improvisational Training Center where she choreographed the final graduation performance. Laura has taken master classes in Los Angeles and New York. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern and musical theater. She was a dance teacher at The Power of Dance for two years and co-owned it for a year before opening Hartland Dance Academy. In 2011 and 2013, Laura completed training at Rhee Gold’s Dance Life Teacher Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. There she trained with Joe Tremaine, Larraine Susa and Roni Mahler. Her competitive company continues to take home many awards including Overall Top Score Awards, Technique Awards, Showmanship Awards, Precision Awards, Best in Choreography Awards, Miss StarQuest Detroit 2012 Title, Miss Ultimate Dancer 2014 Title and Senior Dancer of the Year 2014. Her dancers have also received convention and national finals scholarships. Her dance, November Rain, took home the top choreography award at the 2017 Cathy Roe Dance Competition. In 2023, Laura’s company dancers were asked to dance in CRU’s National Dance Companies. Most recently, she was awarded an In10sity honor award for Perfect Precision and a Best in Choreography award. Laura has been teaching school for 25 years. She is currently a third-grade teacher at Lakes Elementary in Hartland. As a studio owner and dance teacher, Laura looks forward to many more years of sharing her love of dance.