Alexis Wilson has spent her wide-ranging career in theater and the arts. Now, she offers her advice to Denison’s fine arts students. Wilson is currently in her second semester as a Career Coach for the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, where she meets with students who are interested in pursuing the arts.

Wilson has traveled many roads in her career. Born in The Hague to parents who were both ballet stars, she started dancing seriously as a child and, after moving to the United States, found herself performing professionally at age 14 with The Dance Theatre of Harlem. After dancing classically, Wilson switched to musical theater, which led to her pursuing a BFA in drama from Carnegie Mellon University. She acted in TV commercials and traveled the world dancing in musicals. She worked in casting after she stopped dancing professionally in the early 1990s. 

“I try to stay wide open,” she said. “That’s the way my life has typically gone — very non-linear, a winding road.”

Wilson dove into writing in recent years and penned her first memoir Not So Black and White about her upbringing and unique family, especially her choreographer father, who tragically passed away from AIDS. She is currently writing and directing her third original production for the Olentangy Orange High School drama department’s BIPOC students in addition to her role at the Knowlton Center.

All of these skills and experiences have helped Wilson realize another one of her passions: helping young people find their way.

“I always enjoyed connecting and putting people together,” Wilson said. She hopes that her advice will help students, whether that means pursuing a career or a lifelong hobby and passion in the arts. She added, “you hope that years from now, something you offered in some way will help a student in the larger scope of life.”

Fine arts students can schedule an appointment with Career Coach Alexis Wilson by emailing wilsona@denison.edu.