Alex Troupe Dancing his way to a starring troupe

Local dance instructors describe Alexander “Alex” Troupe as a young man with unlimited potential. No doubt, the 17-year-old will waltz his way to a bright future.

“The story of how I got into dance is actually kind of funny,” Alex said. He first played soccer. At one game, the field was muddy after recent rain. “I went to go kick the ball and slipped on some mud and fell into the splits. Soon after that, I just asked my mom if I could start dance.”

As a 6-year-old, Alex started his dance career at Allegro Dance Theatre in Radcliff, Kentucky. “We moved to Huntsville in 2012. I started dancing at The Dance Company in Madison. In 2014, my freshman year, I started the Dance Magnet program at Lee High School.” He’s now a junior at New Century Technology High School.

Alex has studied tap, hip-hop, jazz and his favorite genres, contemporary and ballet. “I’ve been dancing for 11 years, but my biggest accomplishments in dance have happened within the last year,” Alex said. In 2016, he won a scholarship to Giordano Dance Chicago’s mentoring program in 2017 and will take company-level classes focusing on modern and jazz. “GDC helps students succeed in their dance careers. I was chosen, the only high-schooler among a class of college students, to be assigned a mentor from GDC’s Company,” he said. Alex will have FaceTime quarterly with mentor and professional dancer Joshua Blake Carter. “I can email him to ask questions and for advice. It’s very beneficial to have someone like that to find support and answer any questions,” Alex said.

In addition, Alex will tour with Hollywood Vibe, a national-level dance convention targeting career-minded dance students. He will attend conventions in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Atlanta, Georgia; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Anaheim, California. Alex will assist convention teachers on stage and perform in a finale piece with other Vibe Company members.

Jumps and flexibility are Alex’s major strengths. “I have a lot to improve. As dancers, we always have this mindset that we need to improve constantly – even our great attributes. Specifically speaking, I would love to have better feet and arches and more hip flexor flexibility,” he said.

His favorite performance was auditioning for Vibe Company at Hollywood Vibe’s Las Vegas convention in summer 2016. All “Dancer of the Year” competitors performed together in the closing gala. “It was just a lot of fun. I met a bunch of new people from the other side of the country. I still talk to some of them,” he said.

How did The Dance Company prepare Alex? “A better question would be, ‘How hasn’t The Dance Company prepared me?’ The dance education I’ve received these past 4.5 years has been phenomenal. I would not be where I am today without The Dance Company and its amazing staff,” he said.

The Dance Company co-owners Beth Cannon and Julie George said Alex is a very hard worker and a joy to teach. “We look forward to seeing what the future holds for him. Alex has unlimited potential,” Cannon said.

Alex currently plans to attend the University of Arizona with a major in business and minor in dance. “If an opportunity were to arise before I get to college, such as a job offer, I would take that first, but I definitely do want to go to college eventually … (and then) I see myself moving to Los Angeles working commercially – that’s the dream. Maybe even work on the convention circuit,” Alex said.

His parents are Thomas and Petra Troupe. “My dad works for the Department of Defense on Redstone Arsenal and is currently in Afghanistan doing civilian work. My mother works at German Air Force, Huntsville,” Alex said. Alex’s brother, Thomas Troupe Jr., is stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, with the U.S. Army.