FOUNDER + FACULTY ARTIST + CHOREOGRAPHER: Native to Eugene, Oregon, Alaja Badalich or “Laj”, first studied at Oregon Ballet Academy at the age of 4. Throughout her years at OBA, she also studied at many summer ballet programs in and outside of the United States. Alaja trained in classical ballet for many years, and in her teens began to find a great interest in improvisation and contemporary technique.

At 16, she moved across the country to study at the University of North Carolina School of the Art’s modern program, where she studied Graham, Limón, Cunningham, and counter technique. That spring, she studied at flex Studios in her home town, while finishing her junior year and competing for NAACP ACT-SO National Convention.

In 2018, she began her dance studies in San Francisco at the Alonzo King Lines Ballet training program. She is now a recent graduate of the program, and guest teaches at flex Studios. She has choreographed competitive soloists, training program works, and for San Francisco public school programs.

She enforces in her technique classes that “Everything you do will be the right thing” a quote from Christian Burns, one of her mentors from the LINES program. She also believes that as long as you trust the process, surrender to serenity and find your balance, you will find that everything you are looking for is right inside of you, there is nothing to prove but everything to share.”