Movers & Shapers: Alyssa Alpine

PODCAST 164: Alyssa Alpine

Release Date: 10.2.23

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Translating Vision into Action with Alyssa Alpine

Episode 164: Show Notes.

Whether it’s for communication, social media, budgets, scheduling, or meetings (and more!), we can attest to the level of detail, creativity, and make-it-happen-attitude required in the support to make dance happen! The role of the Arts Administration is dedicated to translating vision into action, and with great appreciation and admiration we introduce today’s guest, Alyssa Alpine. Alyssa, with her accompanying drive and passion, is the Founding Director of the CUNY Dance Initiative, a residency program for NYC choreographers on City University of New York (CUNY) college campuses. In our conversation with Alyssa today, we delve into the story of how her love for dance stems from both sides of her family and what has fueled her lifelong commitment. She takes us through her academic path and recounts the story of how she fell into a career as an Arts Administrator. Alyssa elaborates on the functioning of the CUNY Dance Initiative and highlights some of the challenges and peak moments she’s encountered along her career journey. Tune in to this episode to hear more from Alyssa Alpine, a true master of wearing many hats (concurrently!) and doing them all successfully!

Key Points From This Episode:

We get to meet Alyssa and explore her passionate journey in the world of dance.
She elaborates on her time at Hartford Ballet.
Her thoughts on a potential career as a ballerina.
She talks about what got her started in dance and what made her stay
Alyssa’s perspective on the Midwest and why she’d find it difficult to replicate her current life elsewhere.
We hear about her time at Columbia and her academic path toward a B.A.
Hopping from one school program to another and figuring out the dance world.
Alyssa recounts the dream and plan she had had coming out of undergrad.
A quick story about the beginning of her career in arts administration.
Her sentiments about living and working in New York.
Where she went after the Limon Foundation (and having had enough of the Arts world!)
She tells the tale of how she wound up at CUNY, managing the CUNY Dance Initiative.
Her dance journey amidst working and what that looked like for Alyssa.
Looking back, Alyssa reflects on the aspect of the journey that has given her the most energy.
The strengths and skills she brings to her role as an Arts Administrator.
She elaborates on the inner functions (and systems) of the CUNY Dance Initiative.
More details regarding the CUNY Dance Initiative program.
She highlights some of the challenges she’s had to overcome throughout her career.
Alyssa shares some peak moments in her career journey.
What Alyssa is energized for and currently looking forward to.

About Alyssa Alpine

Alyssa Alpine is the founding director of the CUNY Dance Initiative, an expansive residency program that provides rehearsal and performance spaces on City University of New York college campuses to local choreographers and dance companies. She has worked in non-profit administration for 20+ years across areas of programming, marketing, development, and operations for organizations such as New York Live Arts, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, New Jersey City University’s Center for the Arts, and Armitage Gone! Dance, with some forays into arts journalism along the way. As a performer, she cut her teeth with Minnesota Dance Theater, The Hartt Ensemble, and the Connecticut Opera before moving to NYC, where she’s worked with Geraldine Cardiel, Alan Danielson, Patricia Hoffbauer, Yehuda Hyman/Mystical Feet, Stephan Koplowitz, Jonathan Monk, and RedWall Dance Theatre. She holds a BA in English from Columbia University and lives in Brooklyn, NY.