dance

A PASSIONATE LIFELONG DANCER, I CONTINUE TO TEACH and perform. HERE’S A SNAPSHOT OF MY BACKGROUND:

Boston native Alexandra Botti has been teaching ballet to all ages for more than a decade, emphasizing joy of movement and musicality alongside clean, correct technique. She trained in ballet and modern at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts under Samuel Kurkjian, Tamara King, and Diane Arvanites, and in the pre-professional division at the Boston Ballet School with Tamara King, Laura Young, and Sydelle Gomberg. A dual citizen with French nationality, Alexandra has studied in France under Frédéric Lazzarelli of the Ballet National de México and Yves Casati of l’Opéra de Paris. Alexandra received her early teacher training at the Boston Ballet School, and while living in Massachusetts she served on the faculties of the Boston Ballet School, Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theatre, and the Acton School of Ballet, and was rehearsal mistress for the Commonwealth Ballet Company. In the Washington D.C. area, she was on the ballet faculty of the Metropolitan School of the Arts, and also taught privately, including designing and teaching a series of adult ballet classes for ballroom dancers. She danced professionally in Boston as a member of the modern and contemporary companies Intimations Dance and Zoé Dance. Today she is based in New York City, where she is a public radio producer by day and continues to teach private adult classes.

She has enjoyed the many times her professional worlds have come together, like when she reported on Julie Kent’s return to Washington, D.C., interviewed dance critic Sarah L. Kaufman about the ways Muhammad Ali became a symbol of grace, interviewed Benjamin Millepied about modernizing ballet, and produced one of Misty Copeland’s first major public radio interviews.

In some unexpected dance career turns, she also did a stint as a cancan dancer across Boston jazz clubs alongside singer Annie Royer, and performed improvised ballet as part of a series of comedian Hannibal Buress’ East Coast shows from 2014-2015. 

She is a cum laude graduate of Smith College, and has an MA in Language and Communication from Georgetown University.    

A FEW MORE DETAILS ABOUT my professional experience:

PRIVATE BALLET INSTRUCTOR (2015-present)

Adult ballet teacher hosting classes at beginner and intermediate levels. Currently teaching on Zoom to students across the U.S. and in Europe. [For details on joining us, email botti.alexandra@gmail.com]

Dancer, Intimations Dance (2013-2015)

Company member beginning May, 2013. Featured performer in original choreography performed across Massachusetts.

Ballet Faculty, Metropolitan School of the Arts (2013-2015)

Teacher for intensive performing arts high school and studio division. Info here.

Dancer, Zoe Dance (2012-2014)

Joined as a performer for choreographer Callie Chapman’s 2012 “LEFT,” inspired by events surrounding the 1973 coup in Chile. Presented at Club Oberon and the Dance Complex (Cambridge, MA). Videos and more: http://www.zoedance.org/

Classical Ballet Faculty, Acton School of Ballet (2010-2014)

Instructor (to students ages 5 to 75!) in ballet, pointe, ballet conditioning, classical variations, and more.

Rehearsal Mistress, Commonwealth Ballet Company (2010-2014)

Oversaw much of the rehearsal process for 2011’s highly-successful production of The Nutcracker. Contributed new choreography for the production. Rehearsed and coached members of the company. Extensively prepared the younger dance students involved in the production.

Adult Ballet Instructor, Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre (2009-2014)

Weekly instructor for intermediate-level adult ballet. Frequent substitute instructor for various other levels school-wide.

Classical Ballet Faculty, Boston Ballet (2009-2013)

Instructor for intermediate-advanced level adult ballet. Teacher to elementary levels, long-term substitute for Flex levels and Beginning ballet.