Full Name Alicia Williams

Nicknames Lisa, Shorty, Lee Lee, depends on who’s calling me.

I am… Living, Learning, Laughing, Loving

Question Where do you currently live?
Answer Charlotte, NC

Question Where were you born?
Answer Detroit, MI

Question Are there any other cities you have strong ties to?
Answer Brooklyn, NY…I used to live there and my best friends still resides there. Plus, creativity surrounds that place.

Question What is your date of birth?
Answer September 26th

Question How old were you when you started dancing?
Answer I started doing “The Bump” around 7 years old, then “The Butt” around 13, when the song introduced the dance. Then my mom realized I had natural talent when I mastered “The Running Man”.

Question Do you have any formal training?
Answer Well, there was this one 6-week class I took with Arnette Cardona (Chi Chi from Grease), does that count? Or, that time when my cousin taught me the “Moon Walk”, that was pretty intense.

Question Who is someone that inspires you?
Answer Malaka Rock,(Chris Rock’s wife), she has dedicated her life to empowering others with her “Journey For Change” Foundation. She’s not just a celebrity wife, but she uses the status to make a change.

Question What has been your most memorable QCDO experience to date?
Answer My audition! Dancing in front of a live audience with a row of judges a la American Idol style, with clipboards in hand, was an experience to say the least.

Question What style of dance do you love the most?
Answer Reggaeton and Hiphop, oh, you asked for only one. Oops.

Question Where did you go to school?
Answer Graduated from the University of Kentucky and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NY. And, I went to the acclaimed Mumford High in Detroit, Eddie Murphy made us famous by wearing our t-shirt in the movie, 48 hours.

Question What is your “real job”?
Answer I’m a Teaching Artist. I teach drama to help students to read and write better. Arts Integration, we integrate arts into the curriculum. I like to believe that I make the lives of teachers a little better.

Question What other talents/hobbies do you have?
Answer Writing, reading, theatre (acting and watching) and dreaming of being a visual artist and bestselling author.

Question What other types of exercise & activities do you enjoy besides dance-fitness?
Answer Weight training, swimming (as soon as I learn) and watching other people exercise (which can be exhausting).

Question What or who inspired you to become an instructor?
Answer Once I realized that I was hooked, I thought to myself, “Hey, I can become a teacher and then I wouldn’t have to pay for classes anymore!” Well, that and the family environment.

Question What have you learned by being on the QCDO team?
Answer Bringing excellence, love and energy to our dance fitness classes. Love what you do and have fun doing it!

Question What are your favorite dance moments from movies, TV, and/or stage?
Answer I love Alvin Ailey Dance Company, all of the dance scenes from The Lion King, Janet Jackson’s Pleasure Principle video, oh yeah, MJ videos all the way. I love the dance scenes from Breakin’ (ol skool movie) and Stomp the Yard.

Question If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Answer I want to go where the rich and famous go…I want to go to the extremely expensive penthouses in Las Vegas then jet to a private island in the Caribbean with spas and exotic fruit, followed off with a cultural experience where I can stimulate my mind. To top it all off, I want to dance free and unhibited during Carnival and not care about my love handles and cellulite!

Question What is your all-time food weakness?
Answer Chocolate!!!

Question If you could take dance lessons in any style, what style would you choose?
Answer Jamaican, if that’s a style…the way those ladies “wind up” is crazy. If I could work by body the way they do then I would have arrived! Well, then there’s Modern Dance, I’d take it just to have a dancer’s body.

Question What would you like the QCDO family to know about you?
Answer I enjoy the family feeling. I’ve been in Charlotte for eleven years and finally, through QCDO I have friends. Thank you!

Question What does being an instructor mean to you?
Answer Besides not have to pay for classes? I’m fulfilled to bring my energy to share with so many others. It’s become a part of my lifestyle now.

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