Alonzo Williams, senior dance major, is a Resident Assistant and involved member of the performing arts. He will also be the first male dance major to graduate from NSU. Besides dance, he enjoys hip-hop and photography. He went on to describe his experience as an NSU dance major.
Where are you from and at what age did you begin to dance?
“I am from Miami, Florida, but I have also lived in New York City, specifically Newburgh and Harlem. I began dancing at 16.”
When did you discover your love for dance and why?
“My brother was in it before me. He is a professional break-dancer, and I remember watching “America’s Best Dance Crew.” I saw the crew The Jabbawockeez, and I liked that style, so I just tried it. And I really got good at it. It wasn’t until I became Christian where I really understood the significance of it, which was pretty much a year later. And that is where I found the love for it.”
What is it like being a dance major at NSU?
“Being a dance major at NSU is very interesting because NSU is not necessarily a performing arts discipline school. So you have to accept that, but also let those constraints expand your creativity. That goes as far as how to practice, how to learn and how to make opportunities for yourself, as well as your peers. So, I would say it has been an awesome journey because when I came in as a freshman, due to just my passion and those who came in with me, and our passion in general, we were able to really change the forefront and bring the arts more alive here on this campus. From my freshman year to now, we have a [Razor’s Edge] Shark Talent Program, and it is really great to see that NSU is witnessing those things.”
What has been your greatest challenge as a dance major?
“I think my greatest challenge would be understanding my significance within dance itself. I come from an urban background, so I grew up learning and doing street dancing. But, in order to afford dance classes, which I could not, I had to join a night program at my high school. It was based on classical dancing, and it was awkward for me. I had to do ballet and modern dancing. When I came to NSU, I expected more of a difference… that could be tailored to my style, but NSU is also more classical. I found myself with all of these classical disciplines, but yet I was not able to foster them into my own ethnos. But that also helped me because now when I dance, my style is very unique, and you can see the influence from all over the place.”
What has been the most rewarding part of your experiences here at NSU?
“As a dancer, I would say bringing audiences to the shows. Since I was a freshman, I just danced my way to senior year. At first when I came to NSU, people knew me as the “Dancer” at orientation because I got up and performed a weird isolation head thing, and everyone freaked out… No one knew my name, so they just called me the “Dancer” until they began to know my name.
Then my peers and I, who came in as dance majors, really changed the game of NSU. We were able to choreograph our own pieces and be so young and do it at a big level. We went to competitions and performed at high levels. This made the dance program be more sought after, which made people want to take classes, be more involved in more dances and frequently audition. Fast forward and we now have the Shark Talent Program. It has really been a beautiful thing to see all of it culminate together and grow.
I am also an RA, and I watch over the Shark Talent Program, and it is because of [the students] why I am going to be staying here after graduation because I want to see them graduate, and I want to help them grow as artists within their careers, and I want to help them utilize their surroundings too.”
What are your plans after graduation?
“I plan to work in the community of South Florida, work on community outreach through art initiatives. I also plan on working two years professionally as a dance choreographer, utilizing different forms of art within my shows. I do not only want to do dance, but I also want to incorporate a mixture of spoken word and photography too. After that two year break, I want to possibly get my Masters, but at the same time I want to create a dance-training studio, which is one of my main goals. Then two to five years after that, if I am settled down, I plan on opening a performing arts center.”
Who have been the most influential people in your career?
“I would say first my brother, Emmett Williams. Another person would be my friend Damien because we used to dance together in high school, but he had to stop dancing because he was diagnosed with Leukemia. He’s back now, he is cancer-free… Another person is Sarah Amores, Danielle Burdick and Angelina Granitz. And I would say my parents, but that’s already a given. Most importantly, what holds that all together is my faith in God.”
