Meet Laurel Winton

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laurel Winton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Laurel, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I have always had ambition, but learned at a very young age that determination and consistency is what leads to success. I grew up in a family that valued the arts but as I entered adolescence, we lost a lot of the ability to maintain the opportunities I had when I was younger, meaning if i wanted to pursue something. I could no longer depend on my parents to supply the opportunity for me and I would have to find a different way towards the dreams I wanted to pursue.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I was a professional ballerina for a decade and a half befor I founded my own nonprofit dance company DanceAspen.

DanceAspen was formed amongst the pandemic when a lot of dance companies were folding. Aspen, CO had lost it’s resident dance company and the local artists were out of work, and the community at a loss without it’s prized jewwl of high caliber dance. The creation of this company not only brought back the beautiful art form which was so valued, it gave rise to a new innovative and collaborative approach. Inviting other nonprofits, brands, and artists to collectively work on projects that shared the similar vision of high level locally produced art.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Persistance, determination, and the ability to be a visionary when things were looking bleak and to pivot when things weren’t working out.

You have to just go for it every day whether it seems possible or not. Get people excited about what you are doing and they we back you if they believe in the cause. Give people purpose in your vision and make it relatable to their lives

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents put no restrictions on my achievements. They guided me well but supported everything I was passionate about. They tried to allow be to be a kid, while exposing me to learning skills that could lead me towards a fulfilling career. They never downplayed an achievement regardless of how small and never discounted any dreams no matter how big.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Rosalie O’conner

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Portraits of Resilience

Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our

Perspectives on Staying Creative

We’re beyond fortunate to have built a community of some of the most creative artists,

Kicking Imposter Syndrome to the Curb

This is the year to kick the pesky imposter syndrome to the curb and move