Faculty
HCD Dance
The Hartt SchoolEducation
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Belhaven University
Originally from Southern California, Alisa Nipp began dancing at the age of 4. At age 8, she began training at Pacific Ballet Conservatory for the next ten years under Maryann Bayless (PNB), Jane Matty (Dutch National Ballet), and Julie Binowitz (Pennsylvania Ballet). Alisa then went on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Belhaven University and graduated with honors from National Honor Society for Dance Arts. At Belhaven, she learned from Ravenna Tucker Wagnon (The Royal Ballet) and Laura Morton (Milwaukee Ballet), worked with Vincent Hardy (Complexions Contemporary Ballet), and performed at The Kennedy Center in 2018 through the American College Dance Association.
Upon her graduation in 2019, Alisa danced in Chicago, IL, with Ballet 5:8 for two seasons before joining Ballet Hartford as a Company Apprentice in 2021. In 2022, she was promoted to Corps de Ballet and then Company Artist in 2023. During her time with Ballet Hartford, Alisa has had the opportunity to perform as a soloist in New York City Ballet dancer Gilbert Bolden III’s Scherzo in D, work with Claire Kretzschmar (NYCB), and dance in multiple choreographic works by Caleb Mitchell (Houston Ballet). This past summer, Alisa has had the honor and joy of dancing original choreography by Juliano Nuñes and Flock at Orsolina 28’s Open Air Stage in Italy as well as performing at Project Dance Paris.
Alisa first began teaching for the School of Ballet 5:8 in 2020, working with dancers of all ages and levels from Toddler & Me classes to pre-professional dancers to adult classes. Drawing from her Pedagogy and Vaganova-based Ballet Teaching Methods classes at Belhaven University, she has found a love for teaching ballet and conditioning classes that support ballet training. Ever since then, Alisa has been invited to teach ballet, pointe, variations, and contemporary at local summer intensives in Connecticut with Evjen Academy of Performing Arts, Toriography Dance Company, Nutmeg Performing Arts Center, and the Dance Center of Old Lyme.