The Dirt: Aisha Mitchell

December 10, 2009

To call Aisha Mitchell an overachiever would be an understatement. The Syracuse, NY, native is in her second year as a dancer with the Alvin Ailey

American Dance Theater, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this über-trained dancer.

Aisha began her dance studies in New York at the Onondaga Dance Institute, Dance Centre North and with Syracuse University’s Tony Salatino. From there, she went on to study at North Carolina Dance Theatre, LINES Ballet School, the Joffrey Ballet School and The Ailey School (where she was a fellowship student!). She’s performed works choreographed by Dwight Rhoden, Debbie Allen, Alonzo King and many more.

But it’s not just Aisha’s sassy onstage presence and endless extension that define her as a dancer. She’s got a degree to back her up! Aisha graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program in dance before becoming a full member of AAADT’s second company. Plus, she has artistic instincts in her blood: Aisha’s mother owns and runs a dance school, her brother is a lighting designer and her grandmother is a photographer.

Performer you would drop everything to go see:
Sylvie Guillem

Biggest onstage blooper:
As a student, falling flat on my back during my first “Ailey at the Apollo.” I thought that I would never get a job after that!

Most played song on your iPod:
Michael Jackson’s “In the Closet” — it’s my ab workout song.