As a child, Allyson Ross danced in circles around her parents’ house in the City of Norfolk.
With her twin sister by her side, Ross played sports, signed up for Parks & Recreation programs and joined school music classes. The duo was consistently involved in extracurricular activities, but Ross’ passion for dance rarely left the house, save for the occasional Parks & Rec tap dance class.
Now a professional dancer in New York City, Ross credits her career to her steadfast commitment to the artform and one major leap of faith — the choice to leave her family and attend the College of William & Mary.
While many professional dancers begin their careers before elementary school, Ross’ began in college. Ross realized her passion for dance while forging her identity, and living away from her twin sister, as a new college freshman and young black student at a then-predominantly white college.
“The hardest part was figuring out, ‘Oh my gosh, who is Allyson?’” Ross said.
On Sept. 2, Ross returned to her alma mater to perform in a show celebrating 50 years of African American students in residence at William & Mary. For Ross, the show not only celebrated other African American women who forged historic paths before her, but her own trials and tribulations as a professional dancer.
“Now I can finally dance with all the people I wanted to dance with before, because I have the training now,” Ross said. “Just to dance along with other females of color at my own school – it was amazing.”
The event, hosted at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, included about a dozen dancers and celebrated the first three African American students to live at William & Mary: Class of 1971 graduates Janet Brown Strafer, Karen Ely and Lynn Briley.
Fifty years later, 7.2 percent of William & Mary’s student body is black or African American, according to Forbes Magazine.
Discovery and growth
Ross now reflects warmly on her time at William & Mary, but acknowledges those four years were also a struggle.
Ross prefers not to disclose her age or college graduation date due to the age-centric nature of the dance profession.
Used to having her twin sister, Chareese, by her side, Ross began her freshman year with the realization she did not know herself without her twin. Her sister had chosen to go to the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg and the separation left a hole in Ross.
“I think it was hard in some ways socially because my sister wasn’t there,” Ross said. “Finding myself, trying to figure out my identity as a twin.”
Ross’ freshman year academic advisor, retired William & Mary vice provost of academic affairs and sociology professor Kate Slevin, took on a nurturing role almost immediately when Ross arrived at school.
“She struck me as very shy,” Slevin said. “I knew from my own experience as a sociologist that she might have some trouble adjusting. It was an affluent student body, especially at that time. Adjusting as a new freshman and being away from home is difficult to begin with, then you add in being an African American student at a predominantly white institution — it’s an added stressor.”
Early on, Ross said she also found her study habits, organization and understanding of assignments fell short of professor’s expectations.
“Many freshmen suffer from the ‘imposter syndrome,’” Slevin said. “You listen to these very smart, articulate kids and ask yourself ‘Did I end up here by mistake?’ I think Allyson was very typical in suffering from that.”
Ross’ racial identity was not something she questioned when attending William & Mary, she said, because she grew up in the diverse city of Norfolk. She did admit, however, that the university was much less diverse when she attended than it is now.
Still, Ross persevered and graduated from the university, double-majoring in sociology and education. While at William & Mary, Ross also took as many dance classes as she could, she said.
“Her outlook changed big time after she got out, because she saw what we had been telling her – that a degree from William & Mary would be wonderful,” Slevin said. “Dance was her passion, though, and I really convinced her to pursue that.”
‘Going to dance classes like it was my major’
Ross returned home to teach for two years at Norfolk Public Schools, but soon followed Slevin’s advice, throwing herself back into the world of dance.
Since Ross graduated from William & Mary in the 2000s, she has traveled to various corners of the country in pursuit of a career in dance.
While teaching in Norfolk, Ross applied to Harvard’s graduate Arts in Education program, combining her passion for both teaching and dance.
“She got into the program at Harvard and found out she was capable and smart and that she had the skills she needed to do a very good job,” Slevin said.
The pursuit of dance consumed Ross’ time, Ross said, as she tried to catch up to dancers who started training years before she did.
“I was going to dance classes around Boston like dance was my major,” Ross said, laughing. “All my friends said they didn’t know how I did it, but I was just so excited, I believed I could do anything.”
After completing the graduate program, Ross spent several years attending dance schools and training programs in Philadelphia, Las Vegas, New York City and San Francisco.
Ross has now stationed herself back in New York City, teaching second grade at the Storefront Academy in Harlem.
Feeling at home
Ross is still breaking into New York’s professional dance scene, but secured a spot in the Sept. 2 50th anniversary dance performances.
Returning to William & Mary to dance alongside other alumni this month felt like a homecoming for Ross.
The commemorative event was organized in part by Associate Professor Leah Glenn, and featured her dance company, Leah Glenn Dance Theatre. Glenn herself has surpassed milestones at William & Mary: She is the first African American woman to be awarded tenure in the Department of Theater, Speech and Dance.
Slevin said she approached Glenn about a year ago and suggested Ross be invited to perform in the show. Glenn, who knew Ross from brief encounters at various dance conferences, agreed to hold a slot for her.
“I called Allyson specifically for this concert because I wanted as many alums of color as possible so it would be a diverse group of dancers,” Glenn said.
The show itself was a success, and the three history-making women, Strafer, Ely and Briley, were in attendance, Glenn said.
“I really felt like we were making history,” she added. “That was a wonderful privilege to have the dancers meet them.”
Ross’ performance in the 50th anniversary show did not disappoint, Slevin said.
“It was a very emotional moment for me because I am so fond of her and so vested in her success,” Slevin said. “I know how important dance is to her.”
