ALEX BLEIM

Mulgrave School Class of 2010 Interviewed by Michelle Noble | March 2017

lex Bleim, a 2010 grad, has taken her passion for the arts and is turning it into a career. After receiving A a BFA in Performance Dance with honours from Ryerson University, living abroad in the UK, and travelling to cities all over the world, Alex has returned to her home base in Vancouver to start her career. Her business? Alex has started a company that offers unique and personalised dance lessons for couples. If you’ve ever felt like you have two left feet or have had anxiety about dancing in public, she’s found a solution!

Always a high achiever, Alex has won choreography awards at competitions such as the Shine Dance Festival and Rhythm Dance Festival and has also attended intensives around the world, including The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Joffrey NYC Jazz, World Dance Movement Italy, and more. We were also lucky to have Alex at Mulgrave over the summer teaching summer camps. We hope you enjoy this Spotlight on Alex.

At what age did you begin to dance?

My mom enrolled me in my very first ballet class when I was 3 years old. I fell in love with dance instantly. Although I tried other co-curricular activities (gymnastics, skating, swimming, etc.), dance was always my favourite activity, and it has become a constant throughout my life.

Did you always know it was an option to pursue dance as a career?

No! As much as I loved dance, I always thought I would pursue a ‘stable’ career choice after graduation. It wasn’t until Grade 10 (when it was time to start thinking about universities) that I realised how important dance was to me. I started considering dance as a career and realised there were many different ways to keep dance in my life. I figured that if I failed, I could always switch career paths, but at least I wouldn’t have regrets about not giving it a chance. I was very lucky and thankful to have supportive parents when I told them I wanted to take a risk and follow my passion. Now, I am a professional dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher at many studios across the Lower Mainland.

Did Mulgrave support or help to further develop your dance ambitions?

I am extremely grateful for the overwhelming support Mulgrave had for my dance training. From Grade 7 to 12, I negotiated with the principals of the Middle and Senior School to allow me to participate in my dance academy’s half-day programme. This meant that I left at lunchtime and missed my afternoon classes two-to-three times a week. At that time, the

schedule was not designed for students to participate in day programmes. I was missing core classes on a weekly basis. I

ABOVE: Alex and Nadia Potts. ABOVE: Clients performing their first dance, choreographed by Alex.

was incredibly lucky to have supportive teachers who helped me during their lunch periods, offered me extensions when necessary, and allowed me to take a spare during PE a few times a month. Doing this not only taught me the magical skill of time-management, it taught me the power of asking for help when I needed it.

After Mulgrave, you went to Ryerson University for four years to earn a BFA in Performance Dance, and upon graduation, you received the Nadia Potts Heart and Soul Award. What made you an attractive candidate for this scholarship?

The dance programme at Ryerson is very small; they accept roughly 40 people each year. I flew out to Toronto in the spring of Grade 12 to audition and found out there were over 350 people auditioning. Former Principal Ballerina of the National Ballet of Canada, Nadia Potts, was the director of the

programme and ran the audition herself. She made it pretty clear throughout the audition that she was not interested in me, and I left knowing I’d had a bad audition. In the end, I was wait-listed for the programme. Although I was disappointed, I had already been accepted into dance programmes at SFU and University of Calgary, so I knew I had other options. However, a week later (on convocation day, actually) I received a call that I had been accepted into the programme - I was thrilled! When I started at Ryerson, I was at the bottom of the class. I was reminded that I was not given a dancer’s body; I did not have natural turn out or beautiful feet. It was a grueling programme both physically and mentally. By fourth year, there were only 25 of us left. Throughout it all, I knew how incredibly privileged I was that I was able to study something I loved. I was able to dance 15-20 hours per week, working with talented teachers, choreographers and my amazing peers. When Nadia presented me with the award, she said it was my passion, determination, and love of dance that made me stand out. I had grown and changed so much in four years. I was humbled and honoured to receive the award. It felt like we

had come full circle.

That’s an incredible accomplishment! So, what brought you to London, England after graduating from Ryerson University?

I knew from a young age that I always wanted to live abroad for a year. I had been fortunate enough to travel with Mulgrave, dance, and my family, and had experienced firsthand how inspiring travelling can be. London made the most sense to me as they had three streams of dance that I could audition for: commercial dance, musical theatre,

and contemporary dance. I dabbled in all three and had an amazing year abroad.

Living in London provided the opportunity for even more travel. Where was your favourite destination?

That is such a tough question! While in London, I didn’t want to go anywhere in Europe I had already been. I visited Dublin, Galway, Edinburgh, Oslo, Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin, and Budapest. Every place was magical in its own way, but if I had to choose one, Prague stands out. My mom came to London in the summer, and we took a short trip to Prague while she was visiting. It’s such a beautiful city full of history - I highly recommend it!

Is the culture around dance different in the UK than in

Yes. I found that a lot more people go to the theatre on a regular basis, and the UK government is very supportive towards the arts community. As a result, there are more work opportunities for actors, dancers, and other performers than there are in Canada. However, it’s highly competitive as a lot more people choose the performing arts as a career. It creates a diverse and exciting environment.

Being a freelance dancer, what has been one of your favourite dance gigs?

As a dancer, I’ve been fortunate enough to like every job I’ve been hired for. One of my favourite jobs was working on the movie, Tomorrowland. I was hired as a ballet dancer, and it

was my first time on set. I had my own hair and makeup artist, a costume designer, and even my own mini trailer! It was so interesting to see behind-the-scenes of a movie production. Although our scene was cut to three seconds, and you can’t even see me, it was an incredible experience and sparked my interest in the film industry.

What is your biggest achievement so far?

Recently, I shot a web commercial for Caroline Aurthur Couture, a wedding dress designer in London. It was the biggest job I booked while I was in the UK. Not only was I asked to co-choreograph the routine, I was also cast as the bride! We shot it in a beautiful barley field in the country, and I got to run around in a wedding dress for two days. Everyone on the team was so friendly and easy to work with, and we were all so proud of the end result! It’s a job I will always remember. If you’d like to see it, you can visit: carolinearthur. com/barley-sprites-inspiring-individuality/

How did you decide what your next step would be after London? Where did you get your inspiration for your business?

Vancouver is my home and I always knew I would return after London. I am still figuring out what my next steps are going to be. I love choreographing for the screen and would like to pursue the film industry here in Vancouver. While I explore that, I will continue to teach. Teaching dance is second-nature to me now and a huge part of my life. I love working with young people and watching them flourish and grow. More recently, I discovered my love for working with adults, too! In London, I worked for an awesome company choreographing first dances for couples getting married. Working so intimately with couples for something as special as a wedding dance was extremely rewarding. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve decided to start my own wedding choreography endeavor here in Vancouver.

Congratulations! It is so impressive that you have found a way to fuse your passion for teaching and dance. Can you tell us a little bit about how your business works?

I offer unique and personalised dance lessons for couples. My biggest clientele at the moment is engaged couples wanting dance lessons for their wedding or a choreographed routine for their first dance. However, I also offer father-daughter/ mother-son lessons, flash mob routines, corporate team building dance lessons, and general dance lessons for couples just wanting to brush up on their dance skills! My business is mobile, so I can come to your home, office, or gym for lessons. Alternatively, I can find a suitable studio near the client’s home or work and rent a space for us instead. Clients can book single lessons, or packages of 2, 4 or 6 lessons. For more information, you can visit my website: alexbleim.com/wedding-choreography Or, find me on Facebook and Instragram under Alex Bleim Dance.

What was the craziest dance you choreographed for a wedding?

I choreographed a first dance to Aqua’s, Barbie Girl. It was definitely a strange song choice, however, the couple explained they met at a friend’s karaoke party and sang Barbie Girl together, so it held some sentimental value. In the end, the dance was crazy, fun, and it totally suited their personalities!

Any other exciting projects you worked on this year?

I actually taught a week of summer camp at Mulgrave in July! I ran two camps - one for Grade 1-3 students called, Get Your Groove On!, and one for Grade 4-6 students called, Let’s Dance! These camps were perfect for students wanting to try dance without committing to one style. We explored a range of dance styles such as: Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, and Stage.