Meet the DefyGravity Team

Laura-ann Smith

Vicky Gotham

Principal: Laura-Ann Smith

Laura-Ann Smith began her professional career at 19, when she flew to Los Angeles to join Princess Cruises enjoying the next four years travelling the World and performing in their award-winning production shows including:

Dance Da Beat, Shake Rattle & Roll, Words & Music, Rhythms of the City, Lights Camera Action, Gotta Sing Gotta Dance, Ports of Call - and many more on ships such as Grand Princess, Star Princess &Pacific Princess.

Upon returning to the UK, Laura-Ann has featured in music videos, fashion shows and corporate events, not only performing but also as choreographer.

Continuing to work as a professional dancer working in commercial dance and musical theatre she has gained many credits including:

  • Ensemble - Mother Goose (Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock)
  • Ensemble/Dance Captain - Mother Goose (Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent)
  • Ensemble - Aladdin (Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent)
  • Ensemble/Dance Captain - Cinderella (Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent)
  • Ensemble - Spirit of the Dance - Spirit Productions (UK Tour)

Alongside performing, Laura-Ann has been awarded her diploma in teaching Classical Ballet and is a fully qualified Vertical Dance and Fitness Instructor. Qualifications include:

  • British Ballet Organisation (BBO) registered teacher in Ballet, Tap, Jazz dance
  • YMCA qualified fitness instructor, Exercise to Music and Circuit Training certificates.
  • Qualified Vertical Dance instructor (pole dance for fitness)
  • Many years teaching experience in education and the private sector, all ages and abilities:

 

Drama: Victoria Gotham

Victoria works as a professional actress. She trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) on the acting course. Since graduating in 2000 theatre credits have included numerous theatre in education tours;

  • 'The Comedy of Errors' for the Stafford Gatehouse;
  • 'Treasure Island' and 'Little Mermaid' for Twin Lakes Theme Park;
  • 'Scarefest: The Terror of the Towers' for Alton Towers;
  • The Wicked Queen in 'Snow White' at the Queens theatre Burslem;
  • and 'Robin Hood' for P and O cruises.

Filming work includes TV commercials;

  • for 'Scholl',
  • the 'Co-operative bank',
  • 'Iceland' and 'Heinz';
  • corporate video work for 'Boots', 'Mothercare' and 'Toyota';
  • and a feature film called ‘Inside Out.’

She recently performed in 'Jack and the Beanstalk' playing the Baroness alongside Chesney Hawkes at Grimsby Auditorium.

She teaches drama at many local schools, for Stagecoach, and the Regent Theatre Youth Theatre, and has directed and created numerous productions.