Ali Block

Ali is originally from Cleveland, OH. She trained at the former School of Cleveland Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Miami City Ballet School. She has danced professionally with Texas Ballet Theater, Eugene Ballet Company, and as Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She danced at the Hollywood Bowl Opening Night Gala with the LA Philharmonic, and is featured in Steve Childs’ 2009 documentary, And We Will Dance. In New York City, she has danced with Eglevsky Ballet, Thomas/Ortiz Dance, Movement Headquarters Ballet Company, Claudia Schreier Dance, Lydia Johnson Dance, and has performed as a guest principal artist across the country

 

In 2014, Ali relocated to New York City to both continue her performance career and attend Columbia University. While a student at Columbia University, Ali was an active member of the Columbia Ballet Collaborative, the Public Relations Director for the School of General Studies Mentorship Program, and the Managing Editor for Change Magazine, a publication for students at universities across the country. She also was actively involved in social and cultural psychology research in the Laboratory for Intergroup Relations and the Social Mind. Her honors thesis explored the connection between work environments in professional ballet companies and the effects of these environments on female employees’ use of voice in scenarios of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct.

 

Ali graduated from Columbia University in 2020 as the salutatorian of her class, summa cum laude, phi beta kappa, and as the recipient of the Jennifer A. Pack Prize for excellence in the study of psychology and neuroscience. She continues to work in the field of psychology and as a psychology researcher, in addition to dancing.