SRU student, Butler grad highlighted at Broadway showcase
A Butler native and Slippery Rock University student was featured in a Broadway dance showcase in New York City in November.
Lauren Mortimer, a senior dance and early childhood education double major who attended Butler Area Senior High School, was one of 10 choreographers selected to have their work performed at the “Steps Beyond Foundation” choreography lab.
According to an SRU news article, the showcase serves to present a variety of dance styles and expressions at high levels.
Mortimer performed a piece she choreographed at SRU titled “Breaking Barriers,” honoring the resilience of working women.
Previously, Mortimer told the Butler Eagle her mother’s experience inspired her to create a dance that expressed her career frustrations and those of women facing barriers and inequities in their careers.
The dance includes Mortimer alone on stage with nothing but a desk and chair to tell the story of gender inequality in the workplace.
“To me, choreography is a powerful form of storytelling, an emotional language that connects, provokes reflection and amplifies shared human experiences,” Mortimer said in an SRU news article.
The choreography lab this year was titled “Dance in Uncertain Times.” It is an initiative of the Steps on Broadway dance school in New York City.
This is not the first time Mortimer has received recognition for highlighting workplace gender inequalities and performing her own choreographed dances. She was selected to perform “Breaking Barriers” in New York City earlier this year at the White Wave SoloDuo Dance Festival.
