Valerie Alpert is a native of Chicago and received her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois, her MFA in Dance from The Ohio State University, and her Ph.D. in Dance from Texas Woman's University. In between her school years Alpert performed, choreographed, and taught dance both nationally and internationally.

 

As a performer, Alpert toured with professional repertory dance companies in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Texas. As a company member with Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth and Zenon/Jazz Dance Company, she worked with internationally known choreographers and performed assorted repertory across the United States. In 1990, a highlight in her performing career was marked with her debut at the Joyce Theatre in New York City. Her repertory includes works by Gus Solomons jr., David Dorfman, Hannah Kahn, Mary Cochran, Jan Erkert, Bebe Miller, Stephanie Skura, Holly Williams, and Danny Buraczeski. Alpert’s credits also include "My Fair Lady" with the Minnesota Opera Company. Her inspirations are drawn from the vast experience and techniques acquired along the way.

 

Since forming VADCO, Alpert’s choreography has drawn praise at many festivals across the United States and internationally as well. She is dedicated to bringing innovative choreography into the Chicago and surrounding area communities and has done extensive community outreach. Alpert’s works are sophisticated and diverse, defined by personal experience and imagination. In addition, her works often include collaborations with musicians, visual artists, and technology. Her work on the technology front began with an invitation to present her multimedia work "Wearing Me Out," a work which explores the act of integrating computer technology into live performance, at the 1999 International Dance and Technology Conference. Her dance video "Images of Women: Picture Perfect" was exhibited at the Puffin Room Gallery in New York City as part of the 2000 Dance for the Camera Festival. Alpert’s contributions to the field of dance technology include the publishing of her technical manual for the notation software program, LabanWriter 4.0 under Lucy Venable and her doctoral research of digital technologies and dance in higher education.

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Recently Alpert contributed a chapter publication in Masculinity, Intersectionality and Identity: Why Boys (Don't) Dance. Editors Doug Risner & Beccy Watson.

 

Along with her extensive performing and choreographing experience, Alpert is equally enthusiastic for sharing the experience of dance with people of all ages. She has been teaching dance classes in contemporary, ballet, jazz, composition, Latin, and Dance Cultures to students of all ages and abilities since 1988. Her teaching credentials include Zenon Dance School, Minneapolis Community College in Minnesota, Tarrant County College in Texas, and The Ohio State University. Alpert is currently on faculty at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois.