Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Berry.
Hi Alexis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
As a little girl, I remember making up dances with my cousins and performing at family functions. I first started taking dance classes in middle school for connections and on the cheer/dance team. We performed at the basketball games, but we competed in dance competitions in the styles of jazz and hip hop. There I became captain my 8th grade year. My coach was a former Hawks Dancer and poured into me a dancer and I absorbed everything. I met my high school coach, Rae Ransom Coleman, while in middle school because she was a friend of my middle school coach. I could not wait to continue my training with her. She had a familiar style of training, reminiscent of my middle school coach. She has truly impacted my life in so many ways.
I auditioned for my high school dance team as a freshman and made it! I earned a captain position the following year and remained in leadership throughout my high school career. We danced for football and basketball season. We also did multiple community performances and competed in the styles of jazz, hip hop, and dance line. My sophomore year, I choreographed our winning routine sweeping the competition in majority of the categories including, best dance, best technique, best choreography, and more! In high school, I decided that I wanted to make dance a career.
Once I graduated, I attended The Alabama State University and made the Mighty Marching Hornet’s Stingette dance line as a freshman with a perfect score! Being on the team game me some of the best moments of my life. After college, I came home to assist my high school dance line and other high school dance lines in Atlanta.
One year, I had the opportunity to assist the auditions for the ATL Dancers (a dream opportunity)! The following year, I finally decided to audition and made the team the first year I auditioned, which does not always happen! I had an amazing season as a Pro NBA Dancer and made some genuine relationships that I cherish til this day. Throughout my professional career, I have trained with some major choreographers like Gary Beauford, Keith Andre, D-Ray Colson, Yanis Marshall, Tasha B., Brya Woods, and more! I have also trained many students from youth to adults to get to the next level of their dance journey.
I now train others under my brand, HBCU Dance Fitness, where I make fitness fun for adults and help high school students make their prospective dance line. I make it my priority to continue to learn as much as I can about the dance industry so I can pour into others and extend my knowledge to those willing to grow, learn, and have fun! I believe in overall health and wellness and use dance as a tool to build the mind, body, and spirit. As a dancer, I am not only a creative but an entrepreneur as well. I make it my mission to continue to give back to the community that keeps giving to me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This dance thing has not been a smooth road. There are many times where I have wanted to quit or do something else, but I know that I am meant for bigger and greater things than just what my own desires. I had to slow down my process because my little girl was on the way. I am a proud mother of a four years old named Marleigh Sophia. Since she has been born, I’ve wanted to be an example for other mothers by showing them that having a child does not mean your career is over. It just means you have to move a little different.
I have also been overwhelmed with the woes of being the perfect dancer for whatever job I may want and making sure I have the right ‘look’. I’ve learned to be my most authentic self and do what makes me feel good. I know the right job will find me and I will not have to chase it. There have been times when I thought I was not good enough, but I kept pushing because I remembered my why. I have been to so many auditions and did not get the callback, but I do not let that discourage me. I believe that NO only mean “New Opportunity”.
As a dancer waiting for your big break, you have to stay the course and know that your time will come if you just keep putting in the work and showing up for yourself every day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a dance coach and performer. I specialize in HBCU Dance, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Heels. I am most proud of the opportunities I have been able to create for myself despite what I may have thought was a setback of being a mother. I have been able to continue to train myself and others, perform in the NBA, coach high schools, start my own businesses, maintain genuine relationships, and a personal life. I am known to perform and execute.
What sets me apart is my ability to persevere and continuously show up for myself and others. I am a natural leader and want the best for everyone. I move with integrity. I keep a positive outlook on all situations and strive to help others do the same. I know I am not perfect, but I do my best 100% of the time. I do not always get it right, but I never lose because I understand that everything happens for a reason and I learn from my experiences. Although I am frequently in a leadership role, I am still able to learn from others because I know my way is not the only way.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people meet me in a setting where I am directing or coaching and I may come off as mean or hard. Even in settings outside of dance, I do not show my sensitive side, but my feelings actually get hurt very easily. In the past, I was subconscious and have struggled with confidence in myself as a woman and dancer. Over time the industry has taught me to be self-assured and manage my emotions.
Contact Info:
- Website: hbcudancefitness.com
- Instagram: @_thedancingberry
- Facebook: HBCU Dance Fitness
- Youtube: The Dancing Berry
Image Credits
Darius K. Jackson Owen Jennings E. Witaker
