The Dirt: Aria Alekzander

From San Francisco to NYC to Texas, Aria Alekzander has danced her way across the country and into the spotlight. The Houston Ballet corps dancer

is the newest member of Gaynor Minden’s elite group of artists, which also includes Gillian Murphy, Kristi Boone and Alina Cojocaru, all dancers who proudly don Gaynor Minden pointe shoes. But this 23-year-old isn’t a new face to us: She was a DS fashion model in the March 2007 issue! Aria started taking dance classes at the Anaheim Ballet in California (her parents are co-artistic directors), and performed the role of Clara in San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker at age 10. At 19, she joined ABT II before heading to Texas in 2007. Catch her in Houston Ballet’s performance of La Bayadère this Feb. 25–28 and March 5–7. 

Biggest onstage blooper:
I was Clara in the Nutcracker and I was running around a huge circle of mice. I guess I got a little too close to the edge and fell off the stage!!

 

Favorite city in the world:
Riga, Latvia. I went with my brother when I was 15 and had an amazing time!

 

One thing most people don’t know about you:
I have a collection of gnomes 🙂

 

Most played song on our iPod:
Cat Stevens’ “If you wanna sing out, sing out”

 

Favorite dessert:
Mmm…Cookies n’cream ice cream!

 

Photo by Amitava Sarkar