Lauren Anderson: Houston Ballet's Living Legend
Lauren and I met in the early 70’s. We met in ballet class at Houston Ballet. In 1972 we were in Houston Ballet’s very first Nutcracker. We were gingers, mice and party children. I spoke with her recently in a sunlit studio in Houston Ballet’s 115,000 sq ft Center For Dance.
Lauren in the Jones Hall dressing room at the age of twelve as a soldier in The Nutcracker
Lauren at age seven with Courtney Laves as clowns in The Nutcracker
Close to 45 years later, time flew by as we caught up and discussed her world famous career. Lauren reminded me of how often we were reprimanded for talking in ballet class.
Born in the Third Ward, Lauren moved very few times during her childhood. Her parents live in the same house she grew up in and she now lives close to downtown. An only child, she grew up close to her parents. She attended Will Rogers Elementary School, then Lanier and later Lamar. The daughter of two teachers she knew the meaning of hard work and discipline at an early age. In 1983, the year Lauren joined the company, she became pescatarian in order to change the shape of her muscle bound frame. She transformed her body from one that looked like a track athlete to the impeccably sculpted body of a ballerina. Houston Ballet’s first African American Principal dancer and the only African American Prima Ballerina at the head of a major ballet company in the world. (Wikipedia) She performed with Houston Ballet from 1983-2006.
“FIRSTS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. THINGS CAN’T CHANGE WITHOUT FIRSTS.”
Lauren’s parents met with Ben Stevenson, the then Artistic Director of Houston Ballet, when she was 13. Mr. Stevenson wasn’t sure ballet was the right road for Lauren to take. Lauren’s father had already paid for more lessons. She was forced to stick with ballet. Six months later she was cast as Alice in the upcoming production of Alice In Wonderland. She was stunned and asked Mr Stevenson how she, a dark black girl, could possibly be Alice. Alice had (until then) always been a white girl in a blue dress. His unforgettable response changed her life and career. “Darling, you’re a dancer and dancers dance. The only color in art is on a canvas."
Lauren Anderson as Alice with Keith Elliott as the White Rabbit in Houston Ballet’s production of Alice in Wonderland (1978)
Lauren Anderson as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker
Photo by Jim Caldwell (2005)
Her career exploded. She danced all over the world. She performed leading roles in all the great classical ballets. Ben Stevenson created two ballets especially for her - Don Quixote and Cleopatra. She performed all over the world as a guest artist. She rose to the top of the ballet world and put Houston on the map by breaking barriers for ballerinas of color. Speaking candidly and enthusiastically she says “the awesome thing about dance is that you actually get to become the music. The music is the driving force of what you are doing. You are telling a story and the coolest thing is to make an audience laugh or cry or feel w h a t e v e r without telling them a thing.”
Lauren’s commanding voice is now heard regularly. Spending her days talking, teaching and snapping her fingers, she is now the Program Manager of Education and Community Engagement for Houston Ballet. With a motherly tone and full of charisma she charms audiences and classrooms of students lecturing, telling her story, teaching dance and coordinating school visits to the Houston Ballet Center for Dance. The E.C.E. Program for Houston Ballet is an out reach program that includes over 60,000 ISD kids and 19 programs. Teaching is in her blood. Everyone in her family is a teacher and Lauren is very comfortable in this role. She says “kids don’t have voices” and her’s is loud and clear. Her message is always positive and full of love. She tells them all she loves them and tells them what is good before what is bad when teaching. “I realized a long time ago that what I have done is not who I am. It has allowed me to become who I want to be. I want to be this person who changes the world.”
LAUREN’S SON LAWRENCE
Lawrence Bell Fitzgerald Turner is a natural on stage. Lawrence attends HSPVA and, at 16, he is an accomplished jazz musician. His dad, Kyle Turner, a famous saxophonist (who happens to have been Luther Vandross’ last saxophonist) is also a native Houstonian. “All the Turners are musicians. The entire family.” As parents, Lauren and Kyle have stepped back to allow Lawrence to figure out who he is. “I don’t want him to think he has to live up to me. He has to live up to him. He knows who I am and what I have done. His dad too.”
LAUREN’S CHILDHOOD DREAM
From the time Lauren was a young girl in the ballet world she dreamed of dancing the role of The Sugar Plum Fairy. The year she retired she danced eight performances as The Sugar Plum Fairy.
THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
Lauren’s Sugar Plum Fairy pointe shoes and her Cleopatra costume are on permanent display at NMAAHC. What Lauren values the most is her son’s response to seeing them on display - with very little time to view the precious collection, they raced to see her costume and shoes before the museum opened to the public. It was when Lawrence exclaimed “that’s my mom! Those are her shoes. This is something I can bring my great- great grandchildren to see” that Lauren knew she had been the first of something huge that inspired changes that would then stimulate bigger and broader changes.
Houston Ballet today is America’s fifth largest ballet company. Under the artistic direction of Stanton Welch since 2003, the company, according to Lauren “has become bigger and better.” We spoke only about Mr. Welch’s Nutcracker and agreed that “it’s S P E C T A C U L A R. BEYOND BROADWAY, BALLET MEETS BROADWAY, AWESOME! It’s full of stimulation - next level - it had to be in order to be totally different and to be successful…”
Photo by Michele Grinstead Griffiths (2019)
Q and A WITH L.A.:
EMMA: To start, do you cook? What do you eat to stay in shape?
L.A.: I’m queen of the stir fry!
EMMA: Is that your go to? Tell me how you like it...
L.A: It’s like this… I get a gallon bag and fill it with lots of chopped veggies. I buy garlic in a jar so it’s already minced. I chop onions and fry them in safflower oil until they are clear, add some garlic then pour the vegetables into the skillet and fry them up. I add some Slap Ya Mama Creole Seasoning and BOOM SHAKA LAKA! Throw some protein in and it’s ready to eat.
EMMA: SLAP YA MAMA’S WHAT???
L.A. You’ve got to try it! Its the best!
EMMA: It’s on my list. I won’t forget the name...So that’s what you eat to stay in shape.. What’s your favorite desert or cheat food?
L.A.: Oh, that’s easy... I looooove Bluebell Homemade Vanilla ice cream and key lime pie.
EMMA: What do you crave when you are stressed?
L.A.: Puffy Cheetos every time!
EMMA: What is Lawrence’s favorite food?
L.A.: Anything with ketchup on it. I’m not lying...He loves ketchup! Pizza and ketchup anyday. He also loves spaghetti and greenbeans.
EMMA: What’s your favorite movie?
L.A.: Singing In The Rain. I’ve seen it so many times. Also, The Godfather One and Two.
EMMA: What’s your makeup routine?
L.A.: I don’t wear a lot of makeup but I do like Dermablend powder. They make lots of shades of brown. Also MAC. I love MAC.
EMMA: What about lipstick? What color are you wearing now?
LA: I’m wearing almond oil and then that perfect dark colored lipstick from Walgreens. You know, the perfect shade of wine/burgundy???
EMMA: What are you referring to? Something dark like Midnight in Nicaragua?
LA: I don’t have that color, but I like the name of it. Sounds good!
EMMA: Those are your only makeup secrets?
LA: No. I use Mary Kay Cafe Au Lait lipstick on top of everything. It’s the best color. I wore it today because I knew we would be taking photos.
EMMA: I assume this is your weekday uniform… a Houston Ballet tee, Slitz 59 leggings and tennis shoes.
L.A.: Yes! This is it. I have to be able to move and run at a moments notice - tackle any task that’s necessary.
EMMA: What do you wear when you are going out? An important night out or an event?
L.A.: Chloe Dao. Always.
EMMA: Chloe Dao? The Project Runway winner? She has a shop in Rice Village?
L.A.: YES!!! I love her clothes. I love the way they fit my body. She always knows what’s best for me.
EMMA: OK. I will check her out. Have heard great things about her…
These days, Lauren doesn’t seem to ever have a shortage of evening events, award dinners and ceremonies. Earlier this month Lauren chaired the Houston Arts Alliance’s annual soiree celebrating local Houston artists where they raised over $200,000. Lauren shines like a star whether she is in her Houston Ballet uniform or dressed for a night out. She is a powerhouse who isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Her confidence and strength is contagious!