Lorisa Barraza began dancing in 2002 as a four year old and progressed to performing overseas before she started inspiring the next generation of dancers as a teacher and dance studio owner.
What is your connection to Brimbank?
I grew up as a young dancer in Hoppers Crossing with most of my dance training staying local in that area. I was lucky enough to become an instructor at Derrimut Dance Studio six years ago where I met a wonderful community of parents and students. Eventually, the opportunity arose to take over the studio as its owner and I never looked back. Since then I have been able to run a variety of incursions throughout Derrimut, including the YMCA; teaching pre-schoolers and introducing them into the world of dance which in turn has really helped to grow our studio again post covid.
Can you tell us a bit about your exciting journey in dancing which included a trip overseas to America?
Dancing has always been a passion of mine. As a child I participated in a number of extracurricular activities but nothing quite stuck with me like dancing. I started dancing at the age of three and by the time I was 16 I was competing in competitions and training to be an instructor alongside my dance instructors. By 18 I was teaching classes by myself at my local dance studio and even went to America to perform at Disneyland, Universal Studios and on Hollywood Bvd. The dance training was intense but so was my passion for performance. The highlight of that trip was dancing in the Disneyland Parade!
What inspired you to become the owner of the Derrimut Dance Studio and serve the local community in Brimbank?
It had always been a dream of mine to eventually own my own dance studio. I had initially planned on finishing my Professional Communications degree, working in the industry and then hopefully after a few years find some time to build a dance school from scratch. When my boss approached me and asked if I’d be interested in taking over, I jumped at the opportunity. I never did get to work in the communications industry but I could not think of a better job than inspiring children and adults in Derrimut to perform, just as I had been inspired at my local dance school.
What are you most proud of in your career so far?
Being a business owner in 2022 is something that very few people have lived through. Over the past two years dance studios have been some the hardest businesses to sustain given all the lockdowns. We were some of the first businesses to close and the last to reopen. Being able to sustain our dance studio throughout lockdown is something I am most proud of. Through two years of learning over Zoom, myself and my team were able to keep the passion for dance alive in so many young ones when they were unable to live their regular lives. Now we can continue to help foster confidence, growth and creativity in the youth of Brimbank.
