Meet the Dancers: Leah Longoria

Hometown: McKinney, Texas
Occupation: Dance Instructor, Dance Team Director and Varsity Cheerleading Coach
Member of Dallas Dance Company since 2010

DDC Dancer Leah Longoria

Leah Longoria's passion for dance began in high school when she was a member of the McKinney North drill team, the Northstars. Not only did she fall in love with dance, but the experience made her realize she wanted to continue dancing indefinitely. Following high school, Leah attended Collin County Community College, where she was a member of the Collin Dance Ensemble, a modern/contemporary dance company. During college, Leah began teaching at Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Studio in Plano, Texas. In 2010, Leah graduated from Texas Woman's University, earning of Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance and a teacher's certification. She began teaching dance and cheerleading at Sunset High School in Dallas, Texas earlier this year. Leah gave us a little insight about her experience with Dallas Dance Company.

How did you hear about DDC? I learned about DDC back in 2004 through my drill team, the McKinney NorthStars. I heard that many dance teachers were members of the Company, which gave me hope that performing after college (while holding a full time job) is possible.

Why did you want to be a part of DDC? I wanted to become a part of the Company to grow even more as a dancer. I had known about DDC for many years, but the timing wasn't ever right to audition. A former DDC member, Shara Barry, expressed that I should perform while I still can and take the chance before life gets in the way. Shara's comment really helped pushed me to take the step to audition.

What's your favorite part of being a member of DDC? I love coming to class and dancing fully and really pushing myself with a variety of choreographic styles. The environment is so supportive. It's a great place to be every Sunday!