Teri Alexander is a dance artist in the Lafayette community who recently received her BFA in Dance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her technical experience includes ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, tap, and Pom. She has trained with various artist including Vagabondance, Salt Contemporary Dance, Millennium Dance Complex, Blakeley White-McGuire & Daniel Fetecua, Sarah Lass, Marie Broussard, Alex McBride, and more. Teri has also participated in organizations such as Ragin’ Jazz Dance Team, Dance Marathon at UL, and Chi Tau Epsilon dance honors society. Teri is currently dancing in this year’s UL performing arts dance concert “State of La Danse” which opens tonight!

Who makes up your art circle?

My art circle consist of a bunch of random people, but the biggest part of my art circle are my instructors and peers from UL. My time there made me realize that we all have such a strong love for dance and want nothing more than to keep learning/ exploring. We create together, we move together, we feel together. For 4 years we were around each other constantly, which created a strong since of community among us. This would eventually translate into our dancing. Not only do I draw inspiration from these people, but I feel at home with them.

How do you expand your art circle?

I expand my art circle by attending intensives, taking classes at new places, and teaching dance. I love meeting new people who have the same love and devotion for their art forms. The easiest way I’ve found to meet new people is by placing myself in an unfamiliar environment, such as dance intensives in different states or finding open dance classes at studios I’ve never attended before.
Sent from my iPhone

What value do you see in having a creative community?

How does your artistic approach contribute to your community?

I feel my artistic approach is a little different from the usual. I love and respect dance, but I try not to take myself too seriously when dancing. Not to say that I don’t care, but there is a certain beauty in letting go within movement. I move for myself, my soul, my body, not for anyone else. I love to spread this idea around with my students, peers, friends, anyone who is willing to listen. Even people who don’t dance professionally, I encourage them and their movement because it is genuine. Getting stuck in your head about dancing a certain way causes uncertainty which reads in movement. There are no half steps; if you are gonna do something, do it with your whole chest. It doesn’t matter if you mess up, fall, or forget what’s next, just keep dancing like it’s your world and we are just living in it.