The Dance Instructor
BY RACHEL INSWASTY
Since 1997, Alicia Chodera has maintained what can best be described as a haven for young, aspiring dancers. She opened the doors to the Dance Academy of Stuart nearly three decades ago and hasn’t looked back.
“I moved here [Stuart], the year after Hurricane Andrew hit,” Chodera says. “After my daughters were a bit older, I wanted to work again and noticed a need for a dance studio in the area. The main studio building had been leased on and off, and I took up the opportunity to create something of my own.”
Chodera grew up in Chicago and began dancing at a local studio at the age of 8. Her mother thought that, since she was a bit shy but was always jumping around and dancing in the house, a dance class might be a good fit for her. “I was 8 years old, and I started at a small studio,” Chodera says. “Then as I gained more interest and improved, I moved to a larger studio in downtown Chicago around the age of 13. I got with some really good instructors that helped me secure my position with a company after high school.”
Upon graduating high school, Chodera earned a position with Boston Ballet. She describes her time there as invigorating, exciting and eye-opening. As a rookie with the company, she was a sponge and ready to learn from anyone who had more experience and education in dance than her. “I wanted to absorb it all and I really did get a lot out of that experience,” she says. “My older mentors and teachers, such as Richard Ellis and Christine DuBoulay, helped me realize why I was doing it and why I was coming, day after day.” Since the passing of those mentors, Chodera has tried to carry their torch and give her students a purpose and a sense of belonging. To her, dancing is a special little niche: an art that holds a unique place in an individual.
One of Chodera’s goals as an instructor is to guide dancers to become the person they want to be. “When I was around 25, I had an injury and had to have surgery on my knee,” she recalls. “Honestly, I was really going through a sort of change of heart. It was challenging, going from an ‘ambitious in heart but small in numbers’ local studio to a huge company with so much competition and so many other amazing dancers.”
After having six months off at home to recover from her procedure, Chodera took a job dancing classical ballet in Miami with Ballet Concerto. After seven years there, she went to school for a few years, to explore if she wanted to continue in the world of dance. Eventually she moved to Stuart in 1991, just as she was getting back into dancing again after having her two daughters. That’s where she found a place to fulfill her heart’s desire while breathing new life into a spot originally built for movement.
In the late 1970s to early 1980s, Richard Geisinger had a building of dance studios constructed for his then fiancee. When the couple parted ways, the studio suffered but eventually became The Stuart Center for the Arts in 2001. “The building was supposed to be sold and broken up into offices and such,” Chodera says. “My friend told me she was going to buy it and turn it into an arts studio. I came into the picture and started by teaching in one of the smaller studios.” Among other things, the center offered painting, yoga, music, dance, karate and tai chi. Over time, the only classes that really stuck — and grew — were Chodera’s. As demand for her teaching skills increased, Chodera realized she had an opportunity.
“I ended up buying the building in 2014 and it was a huge success,” Chodera says. “We expanded and opened up the Palm City location in 2021, due to sheer numbers and the large number of students that wanted to dance with us.” Before opening the Palm City location, she had been the only teacher for about four years — until her students started joining her.
“Lindsay Davis has been with me since she was 18 years old and is now 39,” Chodera says. “She has been on this journey for 21 years with me and is a fabulous teacher. I feel really blessed and very rewarded by giving her that chance to grow into this role.”
Ryan Johnston studied with Chodera for six years, starting when she was 12. During that time, she became a teacher’s assistant for the younger ballerinas and then, started leading her own classes at just 15 years old. She has been a staff instructor at the academy since 2017.
The Dance Academy of Stuart offers an array of dance classes for ages 3 and up that includes ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary and acrobatics. There is also a competition team and students can try out for pre-professional company positions. The academy also has an annual benefit performance, at The Lyric Theatre of Stuart, to raise money for local nonprofits, such as Hibiscus House, Humane Society of the Treasure Coast and the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center.
Chodera feels proud to have created a space that feels like a second home, as well as a source of solace and inspiration, to so many young dancers.
“I like to tell our students that hard work pays off, because it really does,” she says. “My advice to many of our young dancers is, if you are ever doubting yourself, listen to your gut and your heart. Center and remind yourself that you enjoy what you are doing. If it ever becomes unenjoyable, then rethink your path. See what changes can be made to move yourself forward and upward.”
ALICIA CHODERA
Age: 60 years old
Lives in: Stuart
Family: Husband, Harvey Cupaiuoli; daughters, Karina Harris, 33, and Juliana Beladera, 29
Education: Boston Ballet and associate in arts degree, Miami Dade College
Hobbies: Gardening, cooking, reading, travel
Who or what inspires you: “It is important to feel I am doing something to make a difference.”
See original article in print publication
Dec. 26, 2023
