Laura Piccinin

Laura was born to tell stories.

Whether as a dancer/aerialist with Tokyo Disney, a playwright and performer for the new Canadian musicals, “Every Silver Lining” and “Apothecary” as a comédienne in “Footloose” with Just for Laughs, or with her solo shows, “LESBIHONEST”, “GO”, and “The Suicide Key”, Laura’s unstoppable passion in life lies in telling people all sorts of eccentric stories, whether they want to hear them or not.

Her lifetime of performing began when she was enrolled in dance class at the Canadian Dance Company at the age of 11. There, she thrived under the discipline, support, creativity and care of Dawn and Allian Lupien, who instilled in her a sense of purpose, expression and determination that would prove to be permanent pillars of her character.

After many years of competitive level training in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, lyrical and acrobatics, Laura left the studio, and the province, to pursue her love of psychology at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Two years into her degree, she was offered a dance contract with Disney Tokyo, which she gladly accepted and thoroughly enjoyed.

Not wanting to leave work unfinished and a passion unfulfilled, Laura returned to St.FX a year later to complete her BA with a joint major in psychology and history, followed by a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. The wonderful and influential professors under whom she studied during this time reinforced her curiosity and passion for the complexities of the human experience. She could not be more grateful for the education she received, and the insight into her own life that would follow.

With that out of the way, Laura returned to the performance world, adding singing, aerial hoop, silks and rope, pole, playwriting and stand-up comedy to her list of marketable skills. She then built a presence in the community by working in regional and touring theatre shows, television specials, commercials, promotional events, music videos, feature and short films, with various artists from Toronto and around the world. Laura has travelled to over 30 countries, and plans to make herself a citizen of the world through her art.

Laura continues her work as a secondary teacher with the Toronto District School Board as an occasional teacher in classrooms all over the city. Her time spent at the head of the classroom is where she realized how much of an impact she could have on the lives of others, and how important the role of art plays in creating a human connection for learning. It was her experiences here that inspired her to write her own material, catered toward young audiences, which she considers to be the most meaningful work she has yet to produce.

Laura has many passions in life, and plans on pursuing each and every one of them. She considers herself to be extraordinarily lucky to have the ability to pursue a life and career in such a meaningful and infinitely interesting industry, and she could not imagine living happily any other way.