Alisha Lorraine Captain – Signature

As a young twentysomething, Alisha Captain faced a dilemma most of her peers could only dream about. Stay in New York City for a career in fashion or return to her home state as a dancer?

With an internship at Women’s Wear Daily, the pull of Manhattan was strong. “It was hard to turn down fashion, but dance is my first love,” Captain says. A dancer since before she can remember, Captain started working at Tari’s School of Dance while studying fashion merchandising at LSU. She was a member of the Tiger Girls dance team and was offered an assistant coaching position with the team after graduation.

Dance school owner Tari Smith wanted her to stick around, too. And now her career is evolving to include more choreography than ever.

“I never really started out to be a choreographer,” Captain says. “But I realized that I loved doing it.” In addition to the Tiger Girls, Captain has worked with the Saintsations, the New Orleans Saints’ official dance squad, the College of Charleston dance team and young dancers in high schools across South Louisiana.

“Working with the Saintsations is really fun because there are so many facets to what they do,” says Captain, who helps out with the audition process and plans routines seen in the Superdome and on television nationwide. “They have to be well-rounded, do interviews and represent the city well.”

Every day is different for a freelance dancer and choreographer, but a typical one for Captain includes a long stretch in the studio, working on routines and giving private lessons. Although hectic, it is a schedule that allows her to spend lots of time with her 2-year-old son Hendrix.

“He loves coming to the studio, and [my young dancers] love him,” Captain says. “I feel lucky every day. The more dancers I can work with the better—as many as I can get my hands on.”