Alyson Ward

Adjunct Faculty, Dance


Alyson began dancing in Cherry Hill, NJ at the Bowman School of Dance. She then went on to train at the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. Alyson spent her summers at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, PA under the direction of Marcia Weary.  In 1995, she received a full artistic scholarship to attend the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC. There she studied intensively with Lumila Morkovina and performed with the Kirov Ballet during their American tour. 

In 1999, Alyson began her professional career with the Sarasota Ballet of Florida. She was promoted to Soloist in 2002 and danced the roles of Odette in “Swan Lake”, Sugar Plum Fairy in “Nutcracker”, Queen of the Dryads in “Don Quixote” and Toro in Alberto Alonso’s “Carmen”. In 2003, Alyson became a member of the Philadelphia Ballet (Former Pennsylvania Ballet). She spent the next ten years performing several Balanchine ballets including “Theme and Variations”, “Serenade”, “Concerto Barocco”, “Western Symphony”, “Four Temperaments”, and “Ballo de Regina”. She also performed works by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp and Matthew Neenan. Alyson was cast in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake and toured to Edinburgh, Scotland for its world premiere. In addition, she danced many other classical works including “Romeo and Juliet”, “Giselle”, “La Fille Mal Gardee”, and “Copellia”. She has guested with Ballet Fleming, Tulsa Ballet, Washington Ballet and Royal Ballet of London. 

Alyson has been teaching ballet to dancers of all ages for twenty-two years. She was an adjunct professor at Temple University and currently teaches for Regional Dance America. She is also certified in Barre, kickboxing and Pilates. Alyson holds a degree in Alternative Medicine and is passionate about natural health. In 2010, she founded her own wellness company, Align Healing, to help educate others on how to care for their body, mind and soul. Alyson leads nutrition seminars for dancers and enjoys helping athletes improve their strength and stamina. 

Alyson resides in Glenside, PA. She is a military spouse and mom to two children and one golden retriever. She is thrilled to begin working with the students at Eastern.