Juwan J. Alston
Juwan began dancing at the age of 15 at Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock, TX. He was awarded the Senior Hip-Hop Scholarship at the Texas Association of Teachers Dancing Inc. convention in June 2012. He began serious study of ballet at Dancers Workshop in Austin, TX. In 2013, he attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive on scholarship. Juwan attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 2014, where he performed in ballets by Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Susan Jaffe and Ethan Stiefel. Currently, he serves as a Professional Mentor for Texas Future Dance Educators, Guest Faculty for the UNC School of the Arts Preparatory Dance Program and as a freelance master teacher. Since joining Charlotte Ballet in 2015, he has performed in ballets by Ohad Naharin, Dwight Rhoden, Alonzo King, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Sasha Janes, David Ingram and Mark Diamond.
- Hometown: Round Rock, TX
- Dancing Since: Age 15
- Seasons with Charlotte Ballet: 4
- Favorite thing about Charlotte: I love how vibrant the city is. It’s my first time living in a metro-type area, so I’m very excited to explore all that Charlotte has to offer
- Favorite vacation spot: The Bahamas were pretty great, but I want to continue exploring to find that one extra special place
- What is your most “powerful” dance moment or story? When I was 16 I choreographed a solo in honor of my father, whom I lost 2 years prior. When asked to perform it at a statewide convention, I leaped at the opportunity to share something that was so raw and personal. After the performance, many people came up to me to inform me at how moved they were and how they felt the pain that I was going through. It was that moment that the light bulb went off.
- Advice for aspiring dancers: “You will battle many things as a dancer, but the biggest battle will be within yourself. Don’t be afraid to take a step back, breath, acknowledge and accept how you feel, pull yourself together, and get back in the game!”
- Also: ” Life is what you make it. So let’s make it rock!” – Hannah Montana
