Jennifer Lauren

Jennifer Lauren
Born	Jennifer Lauren Quarles (1981-12-01) December 1, 1981 (age 43) [1] Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation(s)	ballerina, choreographer, rehearsal director, instructor
Years active	1998-
Spouse	Blake F. Pearson ​ (m. 2009)​
Career
Current group	Miami City Ballet
Former groups	Alabama Ballet
Dances	Ballet

Jennifer Lauren is an American prima ballerina, artist, choreographer, rehearsal coach and dance instructor. She was a principal dancer at Miami City Ballet and retired from dancing professionally in December 2024. ^[2]

Lauren danced as Odette/Odile in Alexei Ratmansky's North American premiere of Swan Lake, ^[3] and originated roles in Alexei Ratmansky's The Fairy's Kiss ^[4] and Symphonic Dances ^[5] ; Justin Peck's Heatscape ^[6] ; Liam Scarlett's, Viscera ^[7] ; Pontus Lidberg's Petrichor, ^[8] among many others.

Lauren choreographed, Tchavolo Swing which was performed March 18, 2024, in collaboration with New World Symphony Fellows.

Early life and training

Lauren was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Lauren's mother enrolled her in ballet classes at age three. She began her formal training with regional schools including, The Royal Academy of Dance, The Dance Centre, Alabama Ballet School, and American Ballet Theatre summer programs.

Career

At 16 Lauren joined Alabama Ballet as a company apprentice beginning her professional career. She danced at Alabama Ballet (1998–2007) under Artistic Director and former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer, Wes Chapman. At Alabama Ballet, Lauren performed principal roles in several full-length classics including Giselle , Firebird , Sleeping Beauty , Cinderella , Romeo and Juliet , Swan Lake , Don Quixote and others, as well as many principal Balanchine roles. ^{[9] [10]}

In 2007 Lauren was hired into the corps de ballet of Miami City Ballet, and in 2011 promoted to soloist ^[11] by former Miami City Ballet founding artistic director Edward Villella. Lauren was named to Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2014. ^[12] In 2015 Lauren was promoted to principal soloist, ^[13] and in 2017 ^[14] was promoted to principal ballerina by Miami City Ballet's Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez.

Lauren's repertoire at Miami City Ballet included principal roles in George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante , Apollo , A Midsummer Night's Dream , Bourrée fantasque , Concerto Barocco , Donizetti Variations , Divertimento No. 15 , Jewels , The Nutcracker (Balanchine) , La Sonnambula , La Source , Raymonda Variations , Scotch Symphony , Serenade , Square Dance , Stars and Stripes , Swan Lake (Balanchine) , Tarantella , Theme & Variations, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux , The Steadfast Tin Soldier , Western Symphony , Who Cares? , Valse Fantaisie (1953), as well as Jerome Robbins's, I'm Old Fashioned , Dances at a Gathering , Fancy Free , In the Night , The Concert and Brahms/Handel . Lauren also danced principal roles for works by Alexei Ratmansky, Justin Peck, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Christopher Wheeldon, Sir Frederick Ashton, Pontus Lidberg, Durante Verzola, Roger Van Fleteren, Alan Hineline, Jimmy Gamonet, Liam Scarlett, Brian Brooks, Richard Alston, Leslie Browne, and John Cranko. ^{[15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]}

Lauren was celebrated by Miami City Ballet following two separate performances, first on October 20, 2024, after she danced the Divertissement Pas de deux in George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She was honored the second time after taking her final bows as a dancer on December 24, 2024, following her performance as the Sugarplum Fairy in George Balanchine's, The Nutcracker. ^[30]

Lauren began shadowing Miami City Ballet's Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez in August 2024 and teaching Miami City Ballet company class in January 2025. ^[31]

Personal life

In 2009, Lauren married Blake Pearson, Founder of Visu Artists. ^[32]

References

1. "This year's 'Nutcracker' the last dance for Miami City Ballet's retiring prima ballerina". Miami Herald. December 9, 2024.
2. "Miami City Ballet". Miami City Ballet. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
3. "In Miami, Climbing Ballet's Everest: 'Swan Lake'". The New York Times. February 3, 2022.
4. "Miami City Ballet Shares 'Fairy's Kiss'". Miami Art Zine. February 15, 2017.
5. "Ratmansky's 'Dances' a fiery addition to MCB rep". Palm Beach ArtsPaper. February 24, 2013.
6. "Miami City Ballet Brings the Heat". The Brooklyn Rail. May 2016.
7. "Miami Heat at the Joyce". bachtrack. April 17, 2016.
8. "Miami City Ballet Captivates in 'Modern Masters'". Miami Art Zine. March 3, 2023.
9. "Life's a Beach: A Day in the Life of Miami City Ballet Principal Jennifer Lauren". Pointe Magazine. May 13, 2018.
10. "From Miami to Tuscaloosa: Jennifer Lauren returns as Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker". Pointe Magazine. December 10, 2021.
11. "Tuscaloosa ballerina takes on Miami, Paris". Pointe Magazine. April 18, 2011.
12. "Dance magazine: Former Alabama Ballet dancer among '25 to Watch' in 2014". al.com. January 14, 2014.
13. "New Faces and Promotions at Miami CIty Ballet". July 21, 2015.
14. "Miami City Ballet Announces Promotions and New Members". Pointe Magazine. May 3, 2017.
15. "Review: A Feat and Feast, Miami City Ballet Revives Its 'Swan Lake'". ARTBURST. April 16, 2024.
16. "Critics hail Miami City Ballet's performances at Jacob's Pillow". Palm Beach Daily News. June 26, 2017.
17. "'The Nutcracker' returns to Kennedy Center". The Washington Post. November 25, 2021.
18. "Miami City Ballet's swan song for a Sugar Plum Fairy in the 'Nutcracker'". WLRN. December 11, 2024.
19. "Review: Miami City Ballet Brings Its Own Sunshine to Jacob's Pillow". The New York Times. June 23, 2017.
20. "Miami City Ballet in 'Heatscape,' a Fleeting Chase of Romance". Alastair Macaulay. March 29, 2015.
21. "Florida, fresh & fierce". May 17, 2023.
22. "Miami City Ballet Ends Season with Ratmansky's Concerto DSCH". April 13, 2018.
23. "New World Symphony, Miami City Ballet make inspired partners in Stravinsky". South Florida Classical Review. February 1, 2020.
24. "Miami City Ballet at Lincoln Center: Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows". Critical Dance. April 16, 2016.
25. "Dreaming of Sugar Plums". Knight Foundation. December 19, 2013.
26. "Miami City Ballet's exciting "Dances at a Gathering" program". Knight Foundation. January 29, 2019.
27. "Dreaming of Sugar Plums". Knight Foundation. December 19, 2013.
28. "Jennifer Lauren's Balanchine Secrets". Pointe Magazine. August 18, 2025.
29. "Miami City Ballet Shows Off Its Balanchine Bona Fides". San Francisco Classical Voice. September 27, 2022.
30. "Celebrating Principal Jennifer Lauren". Miami City Ballet. October 15, 2024.
31. "Tuscaloosa native retiring after 27-year professional dance career". Tuscaloosa News. December 13, 2024.
32. "Quarles-Pearson". Tuscaloosa News. June 7, 2009.