5 to Watch 2022: Alycia Williams
We are excited to introduce Alycia Williams, one of our 2022 “5 to Watch” honorees!
Photo: Alycia Williams; shot by Keda Sharber at Images by Papillon
Alycia, 18, is a Texas-born ballerina currently based in Orlando, FL. Alycia received her formal training in the Ballet Academy North professional division under the direction of Kelly Yankle. Although ballet is Alycia’s first love, she has had the experience of studying many genres of dance since she was 2. Since then, she has ranked high in multiple competitions, such as YAGP, ICON Dance Awards and ADCIBC, for her classical variations and contemporary works.
Alycia has performed prominent roles in several productions, such as Clare in Houston’s Urban Nutcracker. One of Alycia’s top career highlights was when she recently performed with Twyla Tharp in New York City on the Twyla Now show on Broadway. Today, Alycia trains with United Ballet Theatre under the direction of Joseph Gatti.
Learn more about Alycia’s ballet journey in her interview below!
Related: 5 to Watch 2022: Anoushka Zoé
What’s a dance accomplishment that you are proud of and why?
I’m proud of my experience dancing on Broadway because I was able to dance with professionals in NYC.
What’s your most memorable dance moment?
My favorite dance memory is when I met Michaela De Prince. She followed me on Instagram and featured me in her stories!
What dance events and milestones do you have planned for this year?
I’m looking forward to performing in PlumShuga Project (The Rise of Lauren Anderson), the ADCIBC, United Ballet Theatre’s productions, and any other exciting dance performance opportunities that present themselves to me.
What does a day in your dance life look like?
I dance with a professional dance company, so I have rehearsals 5-6 days a week along with my ballet classes and workout regimen. I typically dance and workout from 10am-4pm if I have no upcoming performances, and 10am-9pm if there are upcoming performances.
What inspires you?
The biggest inspiration for me - outside of God - is my old ballet director, Ms. Kelly Yankle, because she was the first person who ever believed in me and told me that there was a place for me in classical ballet. She has challenged me and held me accountable every step of my journey. Most of all, she never allowed me to feel that I was less than or not good enough because I was African-American or because my parents did not have money to pay for the enormous cost of dance.
Instead, she pushed me, guided me, and showed me how to attain goals that I thought were unattainable. Most of all, she was there for me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. She had faith in me when I didn’t have faith in myself, and showed me the true meaning of what being there for someone unconditionally actually means. Ms. Kelly was more than just an inspiration for me, she was also a breath of fresh air. For that, I will forever love her, remember her, and she will always hold a special place in my heart - no matter where I go and dance.
Related: Brown Ballerina Ambassador Sophia Cooper Reflects on a Meaningful Dancer-Teacher Bond
Photo: Alycia Williams and Kelly Yankle; provided by Alycia
What’s your favorite part about being a dancer, or the dance industry in general?
I love having the ability to network and meet people that share the same goals and passion as me. Most of all, I love knowing that someday I, too, will be able to pay it forward to another Brown ballerina like myself if I continue to work hard and become successful.
If you could change the future of dance, what changes would you make?
I’d change the political side of dance. I’d change the focus behind dance and its actual purpose. Although we as Brown ballerinas have come far, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done so that all dancers feel included regardless of race, size, gender, creed, or sexuality.
Is there anything else you want to share with dancers reading this article?
Always put in the work and you will reap the benefits of the reward at the end. I’d like to share this scripture from Matthew 19:16, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Basically, as long as you put God first, anything is possible.
Photo: Alycia Williams; shot by Keda Sharber at Images by Papillon
Keep up with Alycia’s dance journey on Instagram.
Every year, TaKiyah Wallace, the Founder of Brown Girls Do Ballet, handpicks five young dancers who are making a positive impact in their communities and/or great strides in their ballet journey. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be featuring each of this year’s honorees right here on the blog, so make sure you check back in! In the meantime, connect with us on Instagram or Facebook.
Note: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.