Directing and Inspiring the Next Generation
For Alicia Chodera, dance is more than technique, it's a pathway to confidence, creativity, and personal growth. Through decades of dedicated teaching and mentorship, she has created an environment where young dancers are challenged to excel, encouraged to express themselves, and inspired to reach their fullest potential.
Alicia Chodera is the visionary Artistic and Executive Director of the Dance Academy of Stuart, celebrating 30 extraordinary seasons of inspiring dancers across two thriving locations. Her professional journey began on full scholarship at Chicago’s prestigious Ellis-Duboulay School of Ballet, studying the Royal Academy and Cecchetti techniques. A prodigy of the art, Alicia was awarded full scholarships to both the Boston School of Ballet—under legends Violette Verdi and E. Virginia Williams, where she also joined the company—and the legendary School of American Ballet, refining her Balanchine technique under masters like Stanley Williams. Her illustrious career as a professional ballerina includes performing with the world-class Zurich Ballet, Miami Ballet, and Boston Ballet. Merging this elite stage experience with academic studies in Kinesiology and Dance Therapy at Miami Dade Community College, Alicia has dedicated her life to the profound joy of teaching. She pours this immense passion into choreographing for her youth performing company, the Stuart City Dancers, earning a Bronze choreography award for her contemporary piece, "Jungle Bird." As an elite coach for the Universal Ballet Competition (UBC) for over five years, she has guided numerous young artists to prestigious High Gold and Platinum placements.
What truly sets Alicia apart is her holistic, loving, and deeply protective approach to training the next generation of dancers. Certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and Pilates Cross Training, she is currently completing advanced certifications in Mat and Reformer Pilates. Synthesizing this vast knowledge, Alicia launched her own proprietary dancer cross-training program. This innovative curriculum uses biomechanically sound movement patterns to dramatically enhance alignment, core stability, and artistic performance while proactively preventing injury. Alicia beautifully integrates mindfulness and intention into every class, teaching students to move with acute body awareness and artistic purpose. For Alicia, teaching ballet is a sacred calling. She intentionally cultivates a warm, supportive, and nurturing environment where rigorous technical excellence and personal expression flourish together. Every year, she shares her boundless love for dance with every student who enters her studios, remaining fiercely devoted to unlocking the unique, individual artist inside every child. Here is to 30 more years of joy, passion, and beautiful creation at the Dance Academy of Stuart!
