Alisa Laraway is the founder and director of Alisa’s Dance Academy in Austin and Lakeway, Texas. Ms. Laraway opened the studio in 1996 with the goal of providing a positive, caring, professional dance environment. Along with the studio Ms. Laraway created four performing and competitive companies within The Academy: Austin’s Dance Elite, Gravity Dance Company, Momentum Dance Company and adult professional company Verge Dance Company. She is also co-founder and co-producer of BA Productions and owner of Dancer’s Closet retail stores throughout Austin. Prior to starting her studios in Austin, Ms. Laraway lived in Dallas where she grew up dancing. Her mother began her first studio fifty years ago and currently owns the Dance Zone in West Plano. Ms. Laraway began her dance education at the age of two and has been teaching and choreographing for twenty-nine years. She was a thirteen year member of Dallas Dance Elite and Assistant Artistic Director of Sarasue’s Academy of Dance for seven years and has been honored with many awards and scholarships for performances and choreography for state and national titles. Alisa recently choreographed for the band Paramore in their latest release of the top hit “Still Into You”. Ms. Laraway is also a privileged member of the National Dance Association. Ms. Laraway's dream has always been to bring the Austin community together in order to provide an outlet for kids to showcase their talents. In collaboration with many organizations throughout Austin and the rest of the United States, this dream continues to become more of a reality.