Miss Lena

---

Lena Oren grew up in Los Angeles, where she began dancing at the age of three. She went on to pursue and earn her BFA in Dance and BA in Art History at the University of Michigan.  Upon graduation, Lena joined Joshua Peugh’s Dark Circles Contemporary Dance (DCCD) in Dallas, TX. During her three seasons with the company, she performed in works by Sidra Bell, Jonathan Campell and Austin Diaz of MADBOOTS Dance Company, Gregory Dolbashian, Gabrielle Lamb, and Joshua Peugh, among others. She had the pleasure of performing with the company all over Texas, as well as in New York City and Seoul, South Korea. In her third season with the company, she was promoted to the role of Rehearsal Director and Outreach Coordinator. Besides dancing for DCCD, Lena has worked with Bombshell Dance Project, StashiTanz, Gushue Moving Arts, as well as premiered her own work and collaborative work in Tel Aviv, Dallas, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor. 

Lena began her teaching journey at her local studio when she was 18. She continued to teach dance at summer camps, dance studios, and community centers through college and her professional dance career. In 2021, Lena started teaching dance at Gabriella Charter School, a K-8th school in Los Angeles, where she also completed her Teacher Education Program through CSU East Bay, culminating in a CA Single Subject Teaching Credential in Dance. Dance has offered Lena a platform for self-expression, self-exploration, and community. She hopes to share the power of dance with her students by working with youth in an exploratory manner and engaging with dance through improvisation, technique, and composition. She believes dance is a tool to help youth learn more about themselves, the world, and each other, as well as develop life skills. She is so excited to start teaching at Sophie Dance and Level Up Dance Academy this fall!