Guest Artist
Alyssa spent 16 years kicking up her heels as a World-Famous Radio City Rockette. She has been seen dancing on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Michael, America's Got Talent and many more. Favorite regional musical theater credits include 42nd St, Showboat and Crazy For You. She has worked with Broadway choreographers Andy Blankenbuehler, Randy Skinner, and the late Chet Walker on various projects. Alyssa is currently a sanctioned teacher with the Verdon/Fosse Legacy. She is the first individual who never worked with either Bob Fosse or Gwen Verdon to hold that title. In her role, Alyssa assists in recreating, archiving, and teaching the work of Mr. Fosse to the next generation of dancers. She was instrumental in helping to create Fosse Jazz which serves as the fundamental building block for a deeper understanding of all things “Fosse.” Notable reconstructions include LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Alyssa holds a Master’s degree in Sport and Performance Psychology. She works with performing artists in helping them to achieve their greatest potential. She is working towards building and designing programs that can be embedded into existing companies and curriculums that will assist performers in areas such as performance anxiety, return from injury, mindfulness, and career transition. She is most proud of her title as 7-year Breast Cancer Survivor! Alyssa works with various charities around the country spreading hope to those that need it most.
Alyssa holds a BFA in Dance from UIUC class of 2003. While at UIUC Alyssa had the opportunity to dance in works by Heinz Poll, Tere O’Connor, Mark Morris, Sara Hook, and Twyla Tharp (which she performed in alongside faculty member Anna Sapozhnikov!).
Alyssa is absolutely thrilled to bring a 4-week deep dive into the work of Bob Fosse to the dancers at the University of Illinois. Over the four weeks, dancers will have the opportunity to learn the foundations of Fosse vocabulary. They will learn about Bob Fosse himself and how his style came to be both incredibly iconic as well as instantly recognizable.