Lauren Baker is a native of Minneapolis where she began dancing at the age of three. She received her BFA in Dance and minor in Mass Communications from the University of Minnesota, where she was the recipient of the Jenwilla Dance Award and the Stephanie Valencia-Kierlin Dance Scholarship. While at the U of M, Lauren performed with the University Dance Theater in works by José Limón, Joe Chvala, Max Pollak and Mathew Janczewski. She has also had the pleasure of working closely with the Jose Limon Dance Company, Wicked Sister Dance Theatre and Shapiro & Smith Dance. Lauren begins her first season with Thodos Dance Chicago as a work study intern.