Department of Theatre and Dance

Lauren Childs McMahon has a lifetime of experience in movement and studio work. She began her dance training at the age of three in classical ballet under Artistic Director Pat Gillespie at Classical Ballet Memphis. Lauren went on to dance and compete on dance teams at the national level throughout her high school career, leading as team captain. Lauren was accepted to Appalachian State University and moved to Boone in the fall of 2006. She joined the Black and Gold Elite Dance Team and was named captain in her sophomore and junior years when she helped merge and create the team that exists today -- The ASU Elite Dance Team.  

In 2006, Lauren started taking dance classes through the Department of Theatre and Dance and quickly fell in love with all the various movement modalities offered, the diverse staff of professors, and the expansive class and performance options available to students. Throughout her time at Appalachian, Lauren was deeply integrated and involved in the program. She danced and choreographed in multiple performances, productions, and projects, and truly felt a sense of community and belonging. In 2007, she began studying Pilates and The GYROKINESIS® Method under second-generation Pilates instructors Rebecca Quin, Marianne Adams, and Laurie Atkins, and knew this type of work was something she would pursue seriously in life. She completed the 600+ hour Classical Pilates Teacher Program in August 2011. She graduated from Appalachian State University in December 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Studies and a minor in Sociology. 

Lauren taught Pilates and dance throughout the North Carolina High Country area, including Appalachian State University‘s Health Promotions, Northwestern Studios, Blue Ridge Acupuncture, and Chetola Resort and Spa. She relocated to Miami, FL, and taught at multiple studios including the well-renowned fitness studio Pilates One in Coconut Grove, and the former GYROTONIC® Expansion System headquarters studio, Miami Beach Gyrotonic. In 2014, Lauren obtained her GYROKINESIS® Method Certification under the training and guidance of master trainers Mari Kasich and Jackson Kellogg. She has worked with multiple other master trainers including Bob Liekens, Peter Fiasca, Mariarosa Guglielmi, and Gina Muensterkoetter. 

In 2015, Lauren moved back to North Carolina and continued to teach at multiple studios throughout the Charlotte area. After extensive research, organization, and planning, Lauren opened Ebb & Flow Movement Studio in September 2018 in the NoDa/Optimist Park neighborhood of Charlotte. The concept was an inclusive space focused on helping people feel better and connect through community and movement, inspired greatly by Lauren’s time at Appalachian State. 

A beautiful and thoughtfully detailed 4,000 sq ft facility with two separate studio spaces and a private treatment room, Ebb & Flow offered a variety of classes and bodywork experiences including dance, Pilates, yoga, the Gyrokinesis method, personal training, Capoeira, group fitness classes, acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, workshops, rentals, showcases, and more. The studio was extremely busy and successful, hosted a variety of community events, classes, workshops, and showcases, and was voted “Best Fitness Studio” by Queen City Nerve in 2020. Ebb & Flow was an innovative space where movement enthusiasts, budding choreographers, and out-of-practice dancers could feel safe and connect. It was a place for young and old alike to play and learn; to explore and move. 

Through her business, Lauren taught an average of 40 hours of classes and sessions a week, employed over 30 independent contractors (including multiple Appalachian Alumni), provided performance and choreographic experiences to the community, and helped expand the growing arts and movement scene in the Charlotte area.