Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Sdrolias.
Alex, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Alex Sdrolias, and I am an incredibly passionate Canadian. I started dancing from a very young age, around 2 or 3 years old, at the Shelley Shearer School of Dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I had no clue that dance would be something I would or could pursue professionally, but always had such a strong passion for it, and gave me purpose. Throughout my years at the school, I took ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, contemporary, modern, and pointe. I began in the recreational department and as I improved and matured, joined the competitive side of the school. I competed in a variety of dance competitions in my city, but once I got to a certain level, I began to travel to other cities across Canada as well as in the United States with the school pre-pro (pre-professional) company. Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Calgary were among the cities I competed in in Canada, and I also traveled to Los Angeles for dancer palooza one year, Las Vegas for The Pulse, and Minneapolis for Nuvo Dance Convention. Another really amazing experience for me was traveling to Poland for the IDO World Modern Ballet and Jazz Championships. We won 3 gold medals and 1 bronze medal for our group pieces. I was very grateful to have received many scholarships and awards throughout my competitive journey at the school not only as a soloist but in group performances as well. One of my top performances was when I won 1st place overall for my senior contemporary solo in 2017 at the Canadian National Dance Championships in Winnipeg.
With all of that being said, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support from my teachers and mentors back at my home studio. Shelley Shearer (prior director), Lindsay Peretz (choreographer), Erin Hyman (choreographer and teacher), and Roy Smith (teacher and choreographer) were the first people to ever see something in me and were so supportive of my dance journey. Lindsay was my mentor and choreographed my solos for years, and I owe a lot of my training and artistry to her. Some of my first dance jobs were when I was younger at the school, which included American Girl Film: Saige Paints the Sky, the opening ceremonies for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and the Hallmark Movie: The Christmas Club. During my senior year in high school, I officially decided that dance was something I wanted to pursue professionally, so I applied to 3 schools total and ended up being accepted into AMDA: College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles after my in-person audition in May of 2019. I will forever be so grateful for my experiences in Canada and for the time I got to spend with such amazing people in Winnipeg, as it properly set me up for a successful transition to California.
After I graduated high school in June of 2019, I spent the summer at home and then traveled to California for my first semester at AMDA in October of 2019. It was such a surreal experience and honestly was not easy at first as I was extremely homesick and not used to the environment here, but I warmed up to it pretty quick and was so thankful. I loved the school because they offered a bit of everything: jazz, ballet, modern, contemporary, tap, musical theatre, Broadway styles, singing classes, acting classes, and so much more. Little did the world know, though, that we were about to go through a worldwide pandemic in the spring of 2020. I was at AMDA in person for a total of one whole semester in person, and then four weeks into my second semester, we were all sent home because of the pandemic. It was rough at first, having to adjust to dancing in my living room and disrupting my whole household at some points when I told my family they had to be quiet when I had a final over Zoom, but I learned a lot from the experience, I will say. My top takeaway from being online for almost two years… yes, almost two years (crazy), was dance on film. I learned so much from having to film productions myself and with the help of my dad at home. I have always had a passion for dance on film, but this experience of having no option but to film was even more groundbreaking for me. It secured the passion I have for it and made me want to continue doing it, even after the pandemic was over. Cain DeVore was our film educator over Zoom, and I owe most of everything I have learned about film to him.
After the virus subsided for, like I said, almost 2 years, everyone was welcomed back on campus in the fall of 2021. I headed back to California and moved out of the dorms into an apartment with my good friend, who also went to AMDA and continued to embark on my journey there. It was weird experiencing life in school before, during, and “after” the pandemic. I had now finished half of my degree and was heading into my fifth semester (out of eight) at the college. It was not easy, to say the least. I auditioned for the show that semester and was cast in the production, and thought that everything was going to be amazing, but what I didn’t know was that my fifth semester was actually a turning point for me in my life. I all of the sudden had developed severe anxiety after coming back to California after being home for so long, and I was very confused and felt extremely lost. I moved through my semester with fear and loneliness, along with some feelings I have never experienced before. During the Christmas break, I had the option to stay home because the spread of the virus was increasing once again in the new year, so I took advantage of the circumstances ended up staying home and forcing myself to pull out of the production that semester and finishing my classes online. For the first time in my life, I chose to say no and was forced to take care of my mental health, not that I haven’t been cautious in the past, but this time it was really going to make or break me. I say all of this because I think it is extremely beneficial to share the struggles we go through as artists, as it is so demanding on our bodies and minds. I have always been an anxious person, but to sacrifice my life back home for this dream of mine put me in a totally different mindset and, unfortunately, got the best of me for a while. There is a lot to be said for everyone who leaves home for school, but I have to say, leaving your own country for your passion is a whole different ball game.
Luckily, I had the best support system of all time by my side including friends and family, so I was able to return to AMDA in February of 2022 and continued at the school and through the summer until graduating in February 2023. I graduated with my BFA in Dance Theatre, and I was and am still so proud of myself for facing my demons and jumping through the many hoops it took to get there. Highlights of my degree were: being in two filmed dance productions online during the pandemic and 2 staged dance productions ‘after’ the pandemic. I was lucky enough to be a part of film and live performances, and I will always hold them close to my heart not only because of the dancing I got to do but the people I got to experience it with.
After graduating from AMDA, I had the option to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) as an International student so that I could work for a year after gradating in my field of study. I was approved, and ever since then, I have been training in outside classes, auditioning, making such special connections with other dancers, choreographers, and artists, and working a couple of part-time jobs. A couple examples of things I have done in this past (almost a year) have been dance concept videos with Abby Chung, a short film titled Little White Lies where I got to be a background dancer choreographed by Malia Baker, danced a piece at Choreographers Carnival choreographed by Karine Newborn, danced in a heels concept video by Ewelina Polnicka, and was a part of the cast for Archetype, a show directed and created by my good friend Lily Chumas that premiered at the Odyssey Theatre in January 2024. I am also currently a dance assistant to one of my past amazing teachers, Queala Clancy, at Harvard-Westlake School for their dance program, and am a part-time educator at Lululemon as they provide compensation that directly supports my dance training and career.
This brings me to now, February 2024, where I am currently working towards applying for my visa here in the United States so that I can stay and do what I love. I want to say how grateful I am and blessed to have had the opportunity to be here, train and receive an education, but it is already hard enough to be here as an artist who is a citizen trying to make it, imagine having thousands more hurdles to jump over because you’re not. It is not an easy process trying to receive and obtain a visa to say the least. It is a time-consuming, tedious, stressful, and not to mention expensive process, but I plan to do it anyway because when I am here, I feel I have a purpose. It is an almost seemingly impossible thing to do when you look at it from the outside, but I know many who have carved the path for me to do it as well and how possible it is If you want it enough and put in the work. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me whether I have to go home for a moment to figure it out or not, and when I ever have feelings of doubt, I just remind myself of why I came in the first place and to always, always, keep the faith.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has most definitely not been. I mentioned everything in my story, but the biggest struggles for me were anxiety/mental health and now just trying to gather all of my evidence and materials to apply for my visa.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I have always been a lover of film, so filming, videography, and editing have always been things that I have dived into as a creative artist. I love to create my own work here and there, which usually ends up being a whole mini-production, all done by me except for the videotaping part. It is so fun to me when I get to do the choreography, directing, and editing when they are all under my control, and it gives me so much freedom to express every aspect of the work in my own way. I absolutely love to choreograph my own stuff, so usually, when a song inspires me, I will choreograph to it and then decide where it would be cool to film and how I would want to edit it. I guess you could say that I specialize in creating my own work and my own concept videos, although I may not be a ‘professional’ in directing or editing, for example. I am most proud of my determination when I have an idea about something. I think my perseverance and optimism are really valuable attributes when I am creating, and it sets me apart from others in the way that I have noticed it become something I can brand myself with. I see a lot of choreographers make their own concept videos/music videos, but I don’t see a ton of creating and wearing multiple hats when it comes to being a dancer sometimes. I feel like I am different in the way that I can post a video of me doing someone else’s choreography, but I can also create my own, edit my own, direct my own, and make it into a whole idea, which not everyone can or wants to do.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
My motto in life has always simply been to be kind. You will receive the energy you give to others, so give out what you would wish to receive <3
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexsdrolias.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsdrol/
Image Credits
Lindsay Rose
Lexi Dysart
Kristen Sawatsky
