Alisa Nipp | Pursuing Dance Professionally

What do you want to do when you grow up? Hear the stories of some Ballet 5:8 dancers and their journey to pursue dance professionally.

Apprentice, Alisa Nipp

Q. When did you start training in dance?

A. I started dancing when I was four-years-old but wasn’t serious about it until 7th grade.

Q. When did you know you wanted to dance full time?

A. I decided to pursue a professional career in dance during my junior year of high school.

Q. What are the first steps to a career in dance?

A. One of the first steps to a career in dance is consistent, quality training that continues to challenge your abilities.

Q. What was the most challenging part of building a career in dance?

A. One of the most challenging parts in building a career in dance is knowing your value. If you know your value apart from dance, it’s easier to know your value as a dancer. And if you know your value as a dancer, you can stand confidently in who you are as an artist without relying on the opinions of others.

Q. What do you enjoy most about being a professional dancer?

A. I enjoy being able to do what I love every day and that I get to take time to refine my craft.

Q. What valuable skills have you seen yourself develop through dance?

A. Dance has helped me develop many valuable skills that I am so grateful for. Ballet, in particular, taught me discipline, dedication, and a good work ethic from a young age. In general, dance has helped me become a more open-minded individual and also has helped me be more in tune with my body and how to care for it.