Quick and light on her feet, Lauriane Ogay makes you feel as if you could easily step in and join her on the dance floor – until you actually try. Then you realize the physical strength and stamina it takes to master footwork at that level. Her impeccable sense of style adds to the feeling of effortless movement she exudes while dancing. She hits each beat with Swiss precision.
Switzerland is the country where she was born and raised, in life and dance. Her commitment to this art form has never wavered in over 20 years. Just like her connection with Tatiana Desardouin, whom she met at a dance competition during her first years of dancing and with whom she has been growing ever since, both in dance and in friendship.
Lauriane Ogay performing at MassMoca with PFDC, 2021. © Will McLaughlin
A smiling Ogay recalls her consistent after-work one-hour drives to Geneva to meet up with Desardouin. They would train sometimes up until three or four in the morning, and then she would drive back home to get a few hours of sleep before another full workday in administration. A decade later and an ocean away from her hometown, the same commitment and excitement ensue when she talks about Passion Fruit Dance Company, the dance company founded by Desardouin in 2016, of which Ogay is one of the core members. Since they started they have performed at The Apollo Theater, Summerstage, Jacob’s Pillow, the New Victory Theater, BAAD! LOHH, Joe’s Pub, the 92Y, MassMoca, and the Guggenheim, among others, as well as in theaters abroad including in Canada and Switzerland. Their next performance is on September 10th, 2021, for ‘Bric Celebrate Brooklyn!‘ where they will be performing Desardouin’s new piece “Trapped”. For admissions, click here.
It was New York City that allowed Lauriane to find her true calling as an artist after a year spent traveling the world. In 2012 she realized that her future was intrinsically tied to the city that birthed the street dance styles that fill her life with purpose. Since then, she has continued training and growing as a hip-hop and house dancer, contributing continuous value to New York’s dance scene and dance culture.
After her first class with Tony McGregor (world-renowned Dance Fusion Crew member, whose credits include performing with EPMD, LL Cool J, Fugees, and more) she was hooked and began training with him intensively. Her dedication and growth lead her from being his student to subbing for his classes when he was traveling abroad, to being invited to join the family of the Dance Fusion Crew, a premier group of New York dancers who have been key in the evolution and innovation of Hip-Hop and House Dance Culture. Caleaf “Big Leaf” Sellers, who holds a plethora of performance and teaching credits that have seen him touring the world for over 20 years, is one of the co-founders of Dance Fusion and a member of the famed Mop Top crew. Watching him and Ogay exchange on the dance floor is a whole vibe. “She’s my dance partner!” he’ll tell you with gusto. Sellers knew her as a dancer when she still lived in Europe and would attend the workshops he gave there. “I have seen her blossom as a dancer since she moved to New York, and we started dancing together. She started to really open up and express her innermost feelings as she increased her skill level, and her sweetness has brought out that side in me too,” he shares. “We have a special connection on the dance floor, and I appreciate that a lot,” he adds.
Ogay’s road to embracing her full potential as an artist is unique and inspiring. For seven years, her 40-hour workweek at an import/export company did not deter her from putting in just as many hours into dancing. In 2017 she suffered from a severe knee injury and could not dance for almost a year; that was when she realized just how much dance meant to her. At an age where professional dancers often start looking elsewhere for career options, she made the choice to live her life as a professional dancer: a choice that has opened even more doors for her to hone and share her talents.
Year after year, as she shines on the dance floor in clubs, on stage, and even at events such as LayerRhythm where she works as the official photographer – but is still called by the public to put her camera down and dance – she connects with the audience in a deep and meaningful way. Her energy is contagious.
In her growth as a dancer and as an artist she has gone beyond being one of the core members of Passion Fruit Dance Company and is now part of the creative team for their next piece, alongside Desardouin. As she wraps up her first decade as a New Yorker, her past accomplishments point to the future artistic endeavors she is committed to. She stays light on her feet and brings light to your soul. Watching her perform live is highly recommended.
