LDF Ballet Academy

Exciting Week at LDF!! Nutcracker Lead Parts Audition Thursday, August 11th 5:00-8:30.

So proud of Amelia and Lilly!!! First pair of pointe shoes!!!

We are excited to welcome Lauren Harshbarger to our LDF Summer Intensive. Lauren was LDF Ballet Academy's first "Clara!" Lauren's natural talent as a student was matched with her work ethic, dedication and gifted level of learning!! Lauren will be teaching ballet and ballet repertoire.
Lauren Harshbarger has been a dance teacher at Lexington Dance Factory for five years now. She is from Lexington and is currently working on her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Kentucky. Lauren graduated in December 2020 from the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences with a Human Health Sciences major on the Pre-Physical Therapy track with a minor in dance. She was also honored to graduate from the Lewis Honors College. Lauren began dancing at age 3 and danced with LDF all the way through high school. She is a Dance Masters of America Certified Active Member. Some of her favorite roles she performed with LDF were as Clara in LDF’s first production of the Nutcracker, Princess Annalise in the Princess and the Pauper, Princess Fallon in the 12 Dancing Princesses, and Snow Queen, Arabian Lead, and Rose Doll in the Nutcracker.

We are so excited to welcome Samantha Koon to our ballet intensive this year!! We are so blessed to have Samantha on the faculty of LDFBA. Samantha has shown beautiful creativity, knowledge and care for our students. Dancers will learn by simply watching her as she dances!! Samantha will be teaching ballet, pointe, and contemporary.
Ms. Samantha Koon was born in TN, and since the age of 3 months, raised all over the US growing up and now resides in Lexington, KY.
Samantha has always had a love for teaching and choreographing and has done both for places such as GSA Kentucky, Kentucky Ballet Theatre, Lexington Dance Factory, Wi******er Christian Ballet, Lexington Catholic Dance Team, and most recently, the Ballet Under the Stars productions.
She has been dancing since she was 10 years old. She has studied and been invited to study at numerous ballet schools across the country, such as American Ballet Theatre, Indianapolis Ballet, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre and the Wilmington Ballet. Upon graduating she joined Kentucky Ballet Theatre for one season as a company member and has never looked back since becoming a full-time teacher/choreographer.
Along with teaching and choreographing, she has found joy in working as a photographer, music editor, and video editor. This has opened many doors for her and hopes to do more in the future!

We are thrilled to welcome Cookie Samsworth to our LDF Ballet Intensive this year. I have had the pleasure to see Cookie's beautiful choreography and her amazing rapport she has with students.
Cookie will be teaching ballet and contemporary!!
Cookie Samworth, Arts in Action’s Artistic Director; Masterpiece Dance Artistic Director; Master Ambition Touring Company, Choreographer & Artistic Director Cookie Samworth studied under master teachers for over 30 years and is dedicated to teaching the art of dance in excellence. Cookie began teaching for the Masterpiece dance program in 2001 with a teaching style that inspires and develops each student to their full potential. She began serving as artistic director in 2003. Cookie is known for her exceptional choreography in numerous genres of dance and productions. She has been awarded countless awards for choreography and given the title of Top Teacher at a variety of competition performances. The original works that she choreographs for individual, duo, trio, and groups are received with overwhelming accolades. She choreographed two original pieces to perform with Landau Eugene Murphy, 2012 winner of America’s Got Talent, which were performed live with Landau at the Clay Center Gala. Her performance credits include touring with the Nutcracker, appearing in Comic Relief with Radar of Mash, touring with the well-known Stars of Tomorrow, dancing in Times Square, New York with Project Dance, and performing on Daystar Television Network to name a few.