Brown Ballerina Ambassador Alexandra Owens on Setting Goals and Taking Risks

For the past two years, Alexandra Owens set her sights on joining a trainee program with a professional dance company. The 18-year-old Brown Ballerina Ambassador has been studying ballet since she was 3. In the Fall of 2021, she accomplished her goal by joining Ballet Austin’s Butler Fellowship Program, where she dances as a trainee today.

In her interview below, Alexandra breaks down the strategy she used to reach her goal, and the challenges she encountered along the way.

Photo: Alexandra Owens; shot by Sarah Annie Navarrete

Overcoming Challenges

One of my biggest challenges was feeling confident in my video audition. I've never been a dancer who is super technically strong, so I was nervous to send in a video that felt so focused on my technique. I decided that I was going to focus on just being myself in the video and letting my artistry show. This made the process of filming a lot more stress-free.

The Winning Strategy

I broke down this huge goal into smaller goals. This made it more attainable. I started by researching companies and determining which would be a better fit for me. I had a meeting with my director and we discussed the steps to get me there. I reached out to the company I was interested in and asked about their audition requirements.

From there, I continued to work on strengthening my technique, so my audition video would be well received. I filmed my video and sent it in. Next thing you know, I was accepted into a trainee program. By breaking down the process into smaller steps and using my network, I was able to achieve my goal.

Goal-Setting Advice

My advice to dancers working towards a goal is to break down the steps to get there. This makes the goal feel less overwhelming and easier to maintain working towards. Don't give up on your goals, even if they start to feel scary. Use your network, and reflect on how to make goal-setting and achieving less stressful.

You only have to do YOUR best, and your best will change every day. Don't beat yourself up or compare yourself to others - it's a waste of energy! Everything happens for a reason. Trust the process.

This year, Alexandra has set a new goal of taking more risks in class. She hopes that by stepping out of her comfort zone, she’ll improve as a dancer - both technically and artistically. “If you don't take any risks you won't improve,” she said.

Follow Alexandra on Instagram to connect and keep up with her dance journey!

Our Brown Ballerina Ambassador program is designed to create opportunities for young dancers in training to be seen as leaders and to eventually become mentors to other Brown Ballerinas in Training. To find out more about our ambassador program and how you can support it, visit our Ambassador/Mentorship Program page.

Be sure to check out our Brown Ballerina Blog, where we feature spotlights on our Brown Ballerina Ambassadors, updates from our organization, useful tips for ballerinas, interviews with dance professionals, and more!

Note: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.