Ali Block danced professionally as Clara with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, as a Principal Dancer with Eglevsky Ballet, and as a dancer with Texas Ballet Theater and Eugene Ballet Company. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and is currently working as a psychology researcher at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Ali is incredibly transparent in this interview about the good, the bad and everything in between. We talked all about Ali’s experience moving away from home at a young age to study ballet and her first pro contract as Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She is incredibly candid about her struggle with an eating disorder as she was preparing to enter her professional dance career and the impact her community had on recovery.

Ali shares what that first audition season was like, her first pro contracts and how she decided to make the leap to freelance. We also learn about Ali’s transition from full-time dancer to psychology researcher and her future dreams for her career and life!

Key Moments:

• Ali’s early dance training [1:53]
• Her experience moving away at a young age to train at UNCSA and Miami City Ballet [5:14]
• Ali’s struggle with an eating-disorder while preparing to enter her pro career [12:03]
• Ali’s first professional contract as Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular [15:50]
• Her first audition season and getting her first pro contract [27:00]
• How Ali made the transition to a freelance dance career [41:30]
• What made Ali want to study psychology and how she made the transition into research [50:41]
• Her biggest piece of advice for dancers pursuing a career [1:04:33]

Connect with Ali:

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/ali_p_block

WEBSITE: alipaigeblock.com/

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-paige-block-b8798a112/

Links and Resources:

Get your copy of The Intentional Career Handbook

Get your copy of The Ultimate Audition Guide

Second Act Mentorship: https://www.secondactnetwork.org/

1-1 Career Mentoring: book your complimentary career call

Let’s connect!

My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina

Questions/comments? Email me at caitlin@thebrainyballerina.com