Beauty from the inside out

Testimonials

  • "Alicia Head's mentorship and training provided me with an incredible foundation at the age of 16 that not only prepared me to enter the professional world of ballet but also sustained me through every injury I faced in my 25-year career. Her innovative approach, willingness to lead, and ability to create methods tailored to her students' needs are a testament to her remarkable talent and dedication. Alicia’s influence has been a guiding force throughout my career, and I am profoundly grateful for the impact she has had on my journey."

    Misty Copeland
    Principal Dancer
    American Ballet Theatre

  • "As a young dancer, Alicia Head trained me in ballet technique and Pilates. Eight years into my professional career with The Joffrey Ballet, I still carry the strong foundations that she has taught me to this day. She has instilled in me a muscular and bodily awareness that translates directly into my ballet technique giving me a strong, energetic, and intentional base that then allows me to experience the freedom to expand on my artistry and physical capabilities. Her training began my transformation into the dancer that I am today and the amazing career that I have been able to experience up until now. I am forever thankful to have had her as a teacher and mentor."

    Yumi Kanazawa
    The Joffrey Ballet

  • "Alicia Head’s embodied knowledge of dance science principles is invaluable for the dancers that work with her. Whether working with conservatory students, professional dancers or in higher education, Alicia enables learning through razor-sharp individual observations, highly effective practical methods, and articulate verbal, visual and tactile cues that open up unimagined possibilities for her students. Her approach is entirely humanistic, engaging with each person with compassion, humor and interest. I have witnessed the unlocking of new worlds for her students, from experienced professionals to younger students only just beginning to understand the power of anatomical kinesthetic knowledge. The result of their working with Alicia is immediate, tangible and profound."

    Lorin Johnson
    Professor of Dance
    California State University, Long Beach
    Faculty | American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensives
    Guest Faculty | ABT William J. Gillespie School
    Author | Ballet for All: An Introduction to Training and History (forthcoming 2025, Oxford University Press)

  • "I’m an extremely hypermobile dancer and would unconsciously hold tension everywhere in my body to compensate. Naturally, over time, my nervous system became stuck in fight or flight mode and bogged down with deeply ingrained unhealthy neuromuscular patterning. Alicia has taught me what a hypermobile body needs to stay connected and balanced, to create healthier neuromuscular postural and movement patterns. Alicia is kind, intelligent, and empathetic. Her wealth of knowledge and ability to clearly apply dance science to classical ballet is unique and rare. Thank you, Alicia, for all you have taught me. You are a gold mine of knowledge and anyone who gets to learn from you is insanely lucky!"

    Lauren Stenroos
    Professional Dancer
    Rehearsal Director | Cleveland Ballet
    Certified Pilates Instructor

  • "I can honestly say that I would not be the artist and human I am today if not for Alicia Head. She took me under her wing as a teenager and enhanced my physicality and artistry like an absolute wizard! If not for her, I don’t think I’d still be able to be dancing professionally in Broadway houses across the country in my 30’s. Alicia’s attention to detail, love for teaching and the art of ballet are unparalleled, and I thank my lucky stars every day for her. Every time I hit the stage or the studio, I still take the principles she instilled in me at a very young age, and I firmly believe that every dancer should jeté at the opportunity to train with her! Endless gratitude to you, Alicia, for all you’ve done for me. You have helped shape this tiny dancer in more ways than you know! Thank YOU!"

    Angela Palladini
    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
    Broadway National Tour
    Annie Broadway National Tour
    Polaris Dance Theatre
    Dance & Acting Audition Coach
    Certified     GYROTONIC® Instructor
    CertifiedYoga Instructor

  • "I wouldn’t be the dancer I am without Alicia Head. I trained with Alicia privately, in group classes, and ballet technique from ages fourteen to twenty. Alicia helped me understand what it means to dance from the inside out. She has a gift for transforming complex information into tools that are accessible and achievable for young dancers. Alicia reminds me that the purest form of technique becomes the artistry itself. Her love for teaching and learning is contagious. It was pure joy to get to learn in an environment that pulled out the best in all of my peers and friends. She leads with positivity, curiosity, and an intensity that is relatable to an aspiring young dancer. I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to have had the chance to spend my formative dancing years with Alicia."

    Daisy Jacobson
    Twyla Tharp Dance
    Former Company Member | LA Dance Project
    Juilliard School

  • I don't have adequate words to even begin to describe and thank Alicia enough for the many ways she has enriched my life. First as a dancer, then as a movement practitioner, and fundamentally as a human trying to navigate life. Her talent, dedication, curiosity, creativity, intelligence, kindness and grace are truly unmatched. I would not have imagined that I would be as inspired, uplifted, and engaged by any one individual. I believe that she has a true gift, an otherworldly ability to guide the body and invigorate one’s brain. After spending any amount of time with Alicia, no matter what you're studying, you will feel so alive, inspired, buzzing, and firing on all cylinders while wanting more. She has this uncanny ability and patience to take all the time in the world with you to truly explore, to go off the beaten path, and to get the very best out of you. Her enthusiasm is contagious, but most of all she’s an extraordinary human being. The world needs more Alicias."

    Keira Schwartz
    Former Company Member | San José Cleveland Ballet
    GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® Instructor

  • "Working with Alicia Head gave me more than my dance career; it fostered a lifelong fascination with the human body. Ballet, ever an unforgiving art form, is a difficult endeavor. I struggled with a difficult facility and many times didn’t feel I had the tutelage to tackle the predicament properly. Alicia taught me how to apply anatomy and physiology very clinically - evaluating the structure and function and how to mitigate issues. I met her at a pivotal time in my training and credit her mentorship with giving me the confidence to continue dancing, eventually completing my BFA in dance in 2014. Her influence was clearly seen in my improved technique and mental fortitude, most notably by ballet mistress Nancy Raffa of American Ballet Theatre. Alicia was more than a mentor; she became a friend and inspiration. As I moved forward in my dance career, I often reached out for guidance and mentorship. I try to channel Alicia’s keen problem solving and clinical eye in my own teaching - cultivating knowledge in my own students. I am currently pursuing a masters in Physician Assistant studies and aspire to work in sports medicine to continue giving back to the arts. Without Alicia fostering my curiosity about the human body and movement, I wouldn't be where I am today. She is one of the finest minds in ballet, and it’s truly an honor to be her student."

    Andie Bartol
    Pre-PA candidate
    Former dancer and lifelong student