We rarely associate the effortless grace and majestic beauty of ballerinas with the ass-kicking power of squat presses, burpees, and pull-ups. But Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater company member Constance Stamatiou (you may recognize her as a featured Ailey performer on an episode of So You Think You Can Dance back in 2009) is shattering all preconceived notions.
What does it mean to be an American woman in 2016? Each of the women on the net 50 pages has her own glorious, gutsy, utterly unique answer. And they'll define themselves, thanks.
This season, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater welcomes three new company members to its mix. One is the first former AileyCamper to make it into the company. Another will set aside her beloved pointe shoes for a coveted spot. And the third? She has two young children, but she can't get dancing out of her system.
There are few jobs as challenging as motherhood, and one prominent dancer with the Alvin Ailey company knew that when she stepped away from the spotlight to have kids. Now, Constance Stamatiou is returning to the stage – just in time for the Lincoln Center season.