B-Girl Shorty's Breaking Career
B-Girl Shorty
NAME: Alex Welch
AGE:
15
CURRENT RESIDENCE:
L.A.
DANCES WITH:
Breaking crews Boogie Brats, No Easy Props and Team Roast
B-Girl Beginnings
Terms of Endearment:
After stints living in Florida and North Carolina, Alex Welch spent most of her childhood in Utah, where her classically trained parents set up shop as owners of a local dance studio. Welch spent a great deal of time observing the older dancers, who dubbed her Shorty. “When I was young, I didn’t want to dance because I sat around and watched my parents teach,” says Welch. “It wasn’t until I saw a guy spinning on his head in a video that I went crazy and begged to take classes!”
Angels and Bratz:
Within a week of moving to L.A. last year, Welch booked gigs with two of the industry’s top choreographers: a “Bratz” industrial with Eddie Garcia and Angel’s “Just the Way I Am” music video with Shane Sparks.
Breakin’ In
Friends in High Places: “In the commercial world, there are hardly any girls who breakdance,” says Welch. As a member of several crews, though, she has met people who can help her succeed, including choreographers Marty Kudelka and Hi-Hat and mentors AsiaOne and Kamel.
She Spins Right Round:
Known for her head spins, Welch has performed her cranial pirouettes in the darndest places—from the hood of a car in the Angel music video to a balance beam in the upcoming feature film Stick It.
Striking a Balance
Books and The Biz: In order to “devote 110 percent to dancing,” Welch participates in an independent study program called Options for Youth in lieu of school. The program requires a tutor and completing a designated monthly number of units in each school subject. “If I get called on an audition, the teachers are understanding as long as I get all my units done,” Welch explains.
The Future
Here’s Lookin’ At You, Kidd: Welch is awaiting word on whether “Kidd Fit,” an exercise and nutrition pilot with “Las Vegas” star Josh Duhamel, will be picked up by a major TV network. “I support the project because it’s based around kids’ fitness and health,” says Welch.
Shorty2K:
Having recently been tapped to teach classes at L.A.’s renowned Millennium Dance Complex, Welch is now one of the youngest instructors in the studio’s history.
