Today we’d like to introduce you to Lexa Thompson
Hi Lexa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I really relate to the concept that most artists don’t have a clear “pathway” to building their career, but instead have lots of different experiences and jobs that have led them to where they are. My journey to now has been hugely varied, with every job leading me to a new project or title and I genuinely wouldn’t want it any other way. My first job in high school was being a parade dancer at Knott’s Berry Farm. While I performed from gig to gig in amusement parks and tourist attractions, I got my Associate’s in Child Development. In college I mastered the artist lifestyle by being a dance teacher, children’s party princess, and behavior support aide while finishing my Bachelors in Theatre Studies. To throw a few more interests into the mix, I got an Advertising and Promotion minor and a Graduate Certificate in Professional Studies. For almost six years, I kept teaching dance while choreographing/directing and stage managing, and went to every audition and job that my agent in St. Louis could find me. Pretty soon, I was supporting competition teams while running whole theatre programs and voice acting on the side. I think I always knew that I wanted to build something from scratch- so the beginnings of my career were simply me learning and experiencing as much as possible so I could figure out what to build.
The “what to build” came to me after talking to my mom (Christy Wroniak) one day- who I credit for giving me my passion for dance. As a professional dancer and art educator herself, we could talk endlessly about theater productions, projects I was managing, best practices for teaching kids…the list goes on. During this specific phone call, instead of talking about hypotheticals, we decided we wanted to open our own dance and theatre studio. It’s been 1.5 years since that phone call, and we just opened the doors of Platinum Performing Arts this August 2024!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At this phase- being new studio owners and trying to make a non-profit organization thrive- every day has some kind of challenge. At the beginning of founding Platinum Performing Arts, my worries were all wrapped up in paperwork and lease contracts. When we overcame that hurtle, the obstacles were much more physical as we renovated an old hair salon into a modern performing arts studio. Now that the studio is built and open, there’s new obstacles to overcome! Every challenge, though, has patience in common. It’s easy to make quick decisions and throw things together, but it’s really hard to be patient and play the long game (but way more worth it).
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a founding board member and the Executive Director of Platinum Performing Arts- a non-profit dance and theatre studio in Orange. We just opened in August 2024 and I couldn’t be more excited to be starting our first season! Platinum’s mission is to provide access to high quality performing arts experiences in a welcoming and supportive environment. Everything from the way our studio was designed to the class programming options were built to bring the very best dance and musical theatre training to our students. We put a big emphasis on offering All Abilities classes for students with disabilities, as well as being an inclusive space. In an effort to help remove financial barriers to participating in dance and theatre, Platinum also provides scholarships to students with disabilities and students in low-income families. We believe everyone deserves access to the performing arts, so every aspect of Platinum is working to make that possible!
While Platinum’s studio is now open, our mission and work in the Orange County community is just getting started. I have big goals and dreams for our students and for the programs that Platinum is building. More than anything, I want every child to feel like they have a place at Platinum and to have fun dancing, singing, acting, and performing!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The advice that has helped me the most is simply to do what makes you happy. There is no right or wrong way to follow a passion. Once I leaned into doing what I wanted with my career, Platinum came together. It’s not everyone’s dream to have a studio but it’s the dream I made for myself- and I truly believe that with time and patience, anyone can build their own dream. So do what makes you happy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.performplatinum.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/performplatinum
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561886847374
