Born in Tucson and raised in Nogales, Mexico, Alan, the oldest of four children, was drawn to artistic endeavors from an early age.

While in high school, he established extracurricular art classes while performing and choreographing for the EXNO Dance group. He has been lauded as a leading figure promoting art and dance in Nogales, Arizona and Mexico.

After graduating high school, Alan returned to his birthplace city to attend Pima Community College on a dance scholarship. At Pima he received his first introduction to ballet, jazz, and Modern dance techniques.

In 2012 Alan auditioned for Artifact Dance Project and joined the company for an international tour that included 14 cities in China, from Hong Kong to Beijing. Later that year, he was accepted to the Kim Robards modern dance company in Denver.

Martha Graham once wrote, “ It takes ten years, usually, to make a dancer. It takes ten years of handling the instrument, handling the material with which you are dealing, for you to know it completely.” After quoting her, Alan admitted, “It was a lot of pressure to be with these experienced dancers flying across the stage. My body was still learning, my brain was not yet a dancer brain.”

Alan returned to Tucson in 2014 to attend the University of Arizona where he was accepted into the Dance Program and chose Pilates classes as electives. He was hooked. After graduating from the UA (with a 4.0 GPA!) he took a Fletcher Pilates® Mat certification course then entered the Fletcher Foundational program immediately after. He since also completed the Fletcher Professional program.

“The breathwork is what drew me into Pilates. It really helped me find connection and learn about my movement,” he said.

Alan is still dancing with Artifact. He feels that his personal Pilates practice has made an enormous difference in his dancing. “My mind is quiet,” he explained. “My body now knows what to do. I’m not overthinking or questioning the movement. I just do it, using a better connection with my body that allows me to use the right muscles to move.”

Alan enjoys leading COREtets, Mat, and Floorwork classes, and private sessions at Body Works Pilates’ Central Studio. “Pilates practice made a huge difference to me and I want to share it with others. It’s my goal for our clients to really understand their bodies and enjoy living in them!”

Check the Body Works Pilates schedule online, through the app, or at the studio front desk to sign up for a class or schedule a session with Alan. Learn more about Artifact Dance Project at https://www.artifactdanceproject.org