Meet Alexandria Franklin, one of the dancers in Dita Von Teese‘s show at Voltaire inside The Venetian Las Vegas.

Having moved to Las Vegas two and a half years ago to join the opening cast of “Dita Las Vegas” at the Jubilee Theatre, Alexandria has built a remarkable career that spans stage, cruise lines, circus, and commercial work. She began dancing at a young age, determined to master ballet en pointe, and continued to pursue dance through high school and college, eventually joining the NBA Washington Wizards dance team and Reflections Dance Company in D.C.

Franklin shared some highlights of her dance journey exclusively with The 702.

How Alexandria Franklin’s Dance Journey Began

Alexandria began dancing at a young age and hasn’t looked back since.

“Similar to most dance origin stories, I started dancing when I was 3. I’m told I never stayed in the class and constantly left the studio to talk to my mom, but I would do the dance steps I learned at home,” she told The 702 exclusively. “Finally, on the last day of the session, I stayed in class and the teacher told my mom that she should keep me in dance. The rest is history.”

Alexandria shared that one of her life goals was to learn dance en pointe, and once she was “deemed strong enough to start pointe work, there was no looking back.”

Realizing Dance Was Her Life

Being a professional dancer wasn’t something Alexandria ever set out to be. But as fate would have it, it’s where she landed feet first.

“I’m not exactly sure why; perhaps it’s because I had plans to work in the fashion industry,” she shared. “When I got to college, even though I didn’t major in dance, I continued to take ballet classes off campus. My senior year of college, I joined the NBA Washington Wizards Girls dance team. This wasn’t my first professional dance job but it was the first one people who weren’t in the dance industry recognized.”

She didn’t have any set plans upon graduating college and was set to go back home to Chicago, but a week before graduation, she received an opportunity to join Reflections Dance Company in Washington, D.C.

“While living in D.C., I would travel to NYC for auditions and eventually moved to Manhattan. So I never definitely said, ‘I want to dance professionally.’ It’s just that I made goals for myself and continued to audition for dance opportunities,” she said. “The decision I did make was that I wanted to dance in any capacity I could find.”

From The Early Days Of Dancing To Joining Dita Von Teese’s Show

Before coming to Las Vegas, Alexandria performed with Hiplet Ballerinas in Chicago, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, UniverSOUL Circus, and various contemporary ballet companies in D.C. and NYC. She has also appeared in music videos, TV shows, commercials, and print campaigns.

She moved to Las Vegas about two and a half years ago to be in the opening cast of “Dita Las Vegas.”

“There are two things that stand out about being in ‘Dita Las Vegas.’ It’s a glamorous show. The whole cast is grateful to call Voltaire home, wear historical costumes designed by icons and to work with the Queen of Burlesque,” Alexandria told The 702. “Our choreographer is constantly making small tweaks and she’s great at reminding us of the story we are supposed to be telling. This keeps the show fresh, authentic, and exciting for the audience.”

The other great part for Alexandria is something the public doesn’t see – “the cast is comprised of 17 all around genuine and kind people.”

“We aren’t in competition with each other,” she said. “We celebrate and support each other and I think that is so special. I think this celebration of each other makes our performance on stage even more noteworthy. It’s also so rewarding to meet women who after seeing the show are inspired to begin to take dance classes or start performing.”

Being A Showgirl, Living In Vegas, And More About Alexandria

When asked what people might not realize about being a professional dancer in Vegas, Alexandria talked about the “glamorous life” many see.

“People might think that we are living this glamorous life of performing and then going to dinners and parties. In reality, Vegas dancers are the hardest working people,” she said. “Many performers are running from gig to show to gig.”

She said one of the hardest parts about living in Vegas is “remembering to slow down” because there are so many opportunities for work making it tough to remember to enjoy some me-time.

When she’s not on stage, she said she’s still moving her body in some capacity.

“I go to ballet, yoga, or Pilates classes often, and I love shopping and looking at luxury goods,” she said. “I also enjoy just being at home and FaceTiming my family and friends.”

As for what dance has taught her along her exciting journey, she said, “so many things.”

“I’ve learned that there’s a time and a place to be in the spotlight and that one doesn’t have to be the center of attention to make a valuable contribution to the story,” she shared. “Dance has also taught me how to deal with rejection and how to persevere in spite of rejection.”

For more information about Dita Von Teese’s show at The Venetian, visit the website.