Raven's Story

Meet Raven

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Raven started dancing tap, ballet, acro, and jazz at the age of five. She continued dancing through middle school and high school to include competing on teams including Renee Johnson's Elite Poms Competition Team, COCA Dance Pre-Professional Contemporary Company, and COCA Hip Hop Pre-Professional Company. In high school Raven attended Grand Center Arts Academy and trained in intensive summers at PAI of Wyoming Seminary, MO Fine Arts Academy, ADC Unbound, Southeastern Summer Theater Institute (SSTI), Gathered NYC, and The Ruth Page School of Dance. Raven's hard work and dedication culminated when she won the prestigious 2016/2017 Dance St. Louis Career Award. 

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Raven is not only a talented dancer with 20 years of experience, she is a triple threat proficient in musical instruments (piano and saxophone), a trained theater arts actress, and a talented vocalist. Raven has preformed on stage in all of her areas of talent to include Steinbeck piano concerts, musical review vocals such as Cinderella and Evita, and theater dance/vocal roles in Schoolhouse Rock, Big Bad, Shrek, Little Shop of Horrors, Young Frankenstein, and Chicago. 

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Raven graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance in 2022 where she continued to preform solos and large stage productions, in addition to studying and setting chorography and mastering the areal arts. Throughout college Raven suffered from debilitating hip pain due to the years and toll dance took on her diagnosed hip dysplasia. Just after graduating college in December, Raven had a PAO hip reconstruction leaving her bed ridden, completely unable to walk, and with little hope to ever dance again. However, Raven did not see that as an option because all she ever wanted to do was dance and perform. Raven set her mind to learning to walk again and within 4 months she began working for Disney despite arriving on crutches and only able to put less that half of her body weight on her hip. She worked hard through physical therapy and after only 6 months post surgery Raven participated in her first post-college dance audition even though she could not dance fully out. 

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Needing to recover further and re-learn to dance, Raven sought out the Fred Astaire Ballroom Dance Studio in Dr. Phillips where she could learn a new dance style while rehabilitating her hip without harsh leaps, turns, and ground work needed in contemporary and jazz dance. Raven began dancing in smooth and Latin styles and later rhythm. Raven fell in love with ballroom dance and her hip pain fell away as her flexibility increased. Raven began competing in pro-am ballroom competitions and had great success captivating the audience. In her first year she placed second in the USDC Mambo championship and first in USDC Bronze Closed Rhythm Championship. By her second year she added a showdance solo, learned Argentine Tango, and continued winning hearts and minds in the ballroom community. Her second year culminated in winning the Ohio Star Ball Showdance Bronze Best of the Best Championship and beating the Bronze, Silver, and Gold competitors to winning the 2025 Ohio Star Ball Best of the Best Grand Championship. Notably, Raven's showdance and mambo solos have challenging back drops, lifts, kicks, and extreme turns,  all while wearing three inch heals. It looks like Raven's recovery was nothing short of pure determination and/or a willed miracle. 

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Raven now dances professionally as a Walt Disney World entertainer and dreams to dance on the cruise lines followed by ultimately following her love for ballroom into the professional realm. The 2026 pro-am ballroom season promises to be even more exciting as Raven continues to beat the odds and entertain the masses with her skill and infectious yet humble personality!

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2026, here she comes ...

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