Jenna Grace Laplante


Jenna Laplante is an artist originating from Northern California and is currently based in Grass Valley, CA. She started dancing at the age of 12 years-old, and has since continued her training in the art form. She graduated from Grand Canyon University with a B.A. in Dance Performance. While in school Jenna found a passion in modern and contemporary dance, partnering, floorwork, and kinesiology and injury prevention. As for her movement she is an athletic dancer who is willing to take risks and experiment with movement. She enjoys pushing her physical limits and discovering what movement her body is capable of, and she finds joy in exploring the emotional intention that movement holds.

Choreography

Teaching

Jenna is a modern choreographer that appreciates strength, athleticism and creating non-traditionally aesthetic shapes with the body. She is inspired by her own life experiences, and she uses those experiences to create narrative works. Although her works are usually narrative, she leaves space for audience members to create their own ideas and relate the work to their own experiences. In rehearsal she wants to create a space that allows creativity and joy to flourish. Along with she wants those that work with her to feel valued and appreciated for who they are as human beings as well as artists. Her process begins with movement. She explore shapes, patterns, flows and creates one phrase that she finds intriguing and adaptable. From there she builds her piece from this phrase as well as phrases that she creates on the spot. After the movement, she adds emotional intent and a storyline matching the movement's energy.  

As a pedagogue Jenna believes that technique is about skeletal placement and correct muscle activation in order to perform movements without injuring the body. She believes that strength is important in order to fulfill technique, and strength training of any type is necessary. Also, young dancers should learn about injury prevention and how to keep their bodies healthy. She wants her classes to be uplifting and informative. She wants to create a space where students feel comfortable to be creative and make mistakes. After a class students should feel that they were challenged by the material but still motivated to keep working.

Photos Taken by Kenzie Brandon