Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Anthony.
Hi Alex, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Alex Anthony, and dance has pretty much been my life for as long as I can remember. I started teaching when I was around 15 years old. I began as an assistant at a local dance studio, worked my way up, and somewhere along the way I realized that dance wasn’t just something I loved doing — I loved teaching it, creating it, and being a part of a dancer’s growth.
As I got older, I knew I wanted to create something of my own. I didn’t just want to open a dance studio; I wanted to create a home. I wanted a place where dancers could walk through the doors and feel like they belonged, no matter where they came from or what their goals were. That eventually became Adrenaline Dance Company.
Adrenaline opened in 2012, and watching what it has become over the years is probably one of the things I’m most proud of. What started as a dream has become my second home and a second home to hundreds of dancers and families.
I’ve also been incredibly fortunate throughout my career to have opportunities that I never imagined when I first started teaching. I’ve choreographed for artists, including an artist connected with Pitbull, choreographed for the Latin Billboard Awards, and traveled around the country and internationally setting choreography and working with dancers and studios. My choreography has received numerous regional and national awards, and I’ve been recognized and nominated multiple times by the Industry Dance Awards.
Of course, the awards and professional opportunities are amazing, and I’m extremely grateful for all of them, but I don’t think that’s what defines my career.
For me, it’s the dancers.
It’s watching a little girl walk into my studio for the first time, sometimes shy and unsure of herself, and then getting to watch her grow into this confident young woman. It’s seeing dancers I’ve trained go on to accomplish things they once only dreamed about. And sometimes it’s simply knowing that Adrenaline was a safe place for them to grow up.
I’m 38 now, and after doing this for more than half my life, I still genuinely love what I do. Adrenaline is my home. These dancers are my family. Being able to play even a small part in their growth — not only as dancers, but as people — is something I will never take for granted.
At the end of the day, that’s what I want my legacy to be. Yes, I want people to remember the choreography and the performances, but more than anything, I want them to remember how they felt when they were here. I want every dancer who comes through Adrenaline to know that, at some point in their life, they had a place they could call home.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like anyone chasing a dream, there were definitely a lot of hurdles and obstacles along the way. When I first decided I wanted to open a studio, I didn’t really have the money to do it. I had the dream and the vision, but financially, I wasn’t in a position where I could just go out and open a business.
I was very fortunate to have parents who believed in me and gave me some startup money to help me get going. I also happened to find a realtor who really believed in what I was trying to create. He saw how passionate I was and genuinely wanted to help me turn this dream into a reality. Those are things I’ve never forgotten, because sometimes all it takes is having a few people believe in you before you fully know how to believe in yourself.
And the truth is, I was young. I knew dance, but I didn’t know business. I didn’t know what it meant to run a company, deal with all the financial responsibilities, manage people, build a brand, or handle the million little things that come with owning a studio. There was no manual handed to me telling me what to do next. A lot of it I learned by making mistakes, figuring things out as I went, and sometimes learning things the hard way.
But the one thing I was always sure about was that I wanted to teach dance. I knew I wanted to create a place for dancers, and I believed enough in that vision to keep going even when I didn’t necessarily know what the next step was.
Looking back now, I think those struggles were actually a huge part of building Adrenaline. I didn’t start with a ton of money or some perfect business plan. I started with a love for dance, a vision for what I wanted this place to become, and a few people who believed in me enough to give me a chance.
And then I just worked. I learned. I made mistakes. I grew.
There were definitely moments when it was scary and moments when I questioned whether I could actually pull it off, but giving up was never really something I wanted to entertain. I cared too much about what I was building.
Now, when I walk into the studio and see hundreds of dancers calling Adrenaline their home, I think back to that young kid who really didn’t know much about running a business — she just knew she loved dance and wanted to teach. Somehow, that was enough to get me started, and everything else I learned along the way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize primarily in contemporary and open choreography, and those are probably the styles where I’ve really developed my voice as a choreographer. A lot of the recognition and awards I’ve received throughout my career have come from work in those styles, so they’ve definitely become a big part of who I am creatively.
I think what sets my choreography apart is that I’ve never really tried to make it look like anyone else’s. My movement tends to be very dynamic, but at the same time there’s an interesting quality to the phrasing and musicality. I love creating unexpected moments and finding different ways for dancers to interpret the music rather than just putting movement on top of it. For me, choreography should make you feel something.
One of the biggest compliments I get is when people recognize my work before they even know that I choreographed it. I’ll have people come up to me at competitions or events and say, “I knew that was an Alex Anthony piece,” and I love hearing that. As an artist, I think developing a voice that’s recognizable as your own is really special. I don’t necessarily know if I set out to create a “signature style,” but over the years, one naturally developed.
But when you ask me what I’m most proud of, it’s actually not the awards or the recognition. It’s the dancers.
Some of my proudest moments have been watching dancers I’ve trained and worked with take what they’ve learned and go on to do incredible things. I’ve had dancers continue into major professional opportunities, including So You Think You Can Dance, where they’ve reached the Top 20 and the Academy, as well as World of Dance and other professional stages and opportunities.
Of course I’m proud when my choreography wins an award or when I see one of my pieces come to life exactly the way I envisioned it. There’s an incredible feeling that comes with standing in the audience and watching something that once existed only in your head suddenly living and breathing onstage.
But there’s an even better feeling when you realize that the dancer performing it has grown because of the process.
That’s probably what sets Adrenaline and me apart the most. I’m not interested in just creating great dancers or winning competitions. I want to develop artists. I want dancers to understand movement, musicality, performance and storytelling, but I also want them to discover who they are individually. I never want every dancer coming out of my studio to look exactly the same.
And beyond the artist, there’s the person. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to build relationships with dancers and families and watch these kids grow up right in front of me. Some come in when they’re little, and years later I’m watching them graduate, pursue careers, teach, perform, or simply become incredible young adults.
Awards are amazing. Seeing my choreography recognized is amazing. But knowing that I played some part in someone’s journey — and that something we created together may have helped shape the artist and person they became — that’s probably what I’m most proud of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.adrenaline.dance
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrenalinedanceco?stkn=MW1xY2E2ZWJyenRsMw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Kenny Palacios
