Alison is a professional dancer who has worked everywhere from the The Metropolitan Opera to Disneyland! In addition to her many credits as a dancer, Alison has also taught at The Ailey School, Broadway Dance Center, Mark Morris Dance Center, and Brooklyn Ballet (just to name a few!). This incredible dancer has worked and toured all over the country but is now back in her home base, NYC! When not on a stage or teaching a class, Alison loves spending quality time with kiddos playing movement games, making arts and crafts, playing make believe, and of course dancing! Read on to learn more about Alison!

Where are you from and what brought you to NYC?

I’m originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio, which is a suburb of Cleveland. After high school, I moved to New York City to study Dance at The Juilliard School. After Juilliard, I lived in Los Angeles for almost five years. I moved back to New York City in 2008 and currently live in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

What is your experience with kids? Can you share a story?

When I’m not performing, I enjoy teaching dance to kids, teens, and adults. On Saturday mornings I teach a Dance Improvisation and Composition class. It’s incredibly inspiring to watch kids as young as 7 years-old create their own choreography based upon personal improvisation and creative movement. I’m so grateful to work with students who challenge and motivate me every day with their bravery, commitment, and artistry to be the best teacher I can be. In addition to teaching, I have experience taking care of children ages 1 year-old and up.

When you’re booked for a Curated Care session, what is your process in terms of preparation/items you bring? What kinds of activities do you incorporate into sessions?

When I book a Curated Care session, I always message the family and ask if there are any special interests, activities, games, and/or characters that the kiddos enjoy so I can customize my activities accordingly. I always travel with fun musical playlists to inspire and/or accompany the session. I also bring one or two books to read, coloring books, balloons, and lots of arts and crafts supplies. I never leave home without my trusty game of Twister, which is a great game to get kids active, limber, and coordinated. One of my favorite activities is to choreograph and record a personalized dance for each kiddo. I also love creating unique arts and crafts projects that represent each kid’s personality. For the little ones, I love playing make believe and singing spontaneous silly songs.

You have a HUGE dance background. Can you tell us a little about it?

I started dancing when I was 5 years-old at The School of Cleveland San Jose Ballet. I immediately fell in love with taking ballet class, the rehearsal process, and, of course, performing. By high school, I was dancing six days a week and performing in Cleveland San Jose Ballet’s professional production of The Nutcracker. After high school, I moved to New York City to study Dance at The Juilliard School. Since graduation, I’ve worked as a freelance dancer performing for dance, opera, and musical theater companies nationwide, such as: Paramount Pictures, Disneyland Entertainment, The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, The Lyric Opera, LA Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dodgers Theatrical, TheaterWorks of Silicon Valley, Music Circus, Asolo Repertory Theater, and Theater League. I also work as a commercial, sports, and lifestyle model. In addition to performing, I enjoy teaching dance to students of all ages.

What do you think is the benefit in hiring a Kid Expert vs a traditional babysitter?

The benefit of hiring a KE is that you’re getting the best of both worlds. You’re hiring a qualified professional to take care of your kids as well as a performer, an artist, a teacher, and/or a creative professional who is passionate about what they do. Kids naturally relate to adults who are fun-loving, creative, and energetic. I, like most KEs, am still a kid at heart because I’m blessed to do what I love everyday. I enjoy sharing my positive energy and enthusiasm with all of my Curated Care families.

What are you most looking forward to in the future?

I’m looking forward to dancing and performing as much and for as long as I can. Phew! I’m also looking forward to spending time with my favorite niece and nephew in Los Angeles.

Are you a dancer looking for the perfect side gig while you audition and perform? Sign up to CuratedCare.com to create your babysitter profile and start getting jobs now.