About Dr. Alex

Dr. Alesondra (Alex) Christmas Stapleton is an organizer, educator, and artist-scholar dedicated to social change and justice. She earned her PhD in Dance Studies at The Ohio State University. Her scholarship focuses on the nuances of racism and intersectional oppression in the performing arts, particularly Racial Battle Fatigue in Black women dance educators.  

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Her academic scholarship uplifts the thought, labor, and creative practices of Black women in dance. Dr. Alex has presented at several national and international conferences, including the Dance Studies Association, Collegium for African Diaspora Dance, Ohio Dance Festival, and Association for Theatre in Higher Education. Additionally, she has published several works that address the nuances of racism and intersectional oppression in the performing arts.

Dr. Alex works to dismantle White Supremacy through designing Anti-Racist curriculum for university programs and publicly accessible courses. she has designed and implemented academic courses “African Diaspora Dance in the 21st Century” and “Antiracism in the Performing Arts” for university students. Christmas is also committed to publicly accessible pedagogy; she devised “Anti-Racism in the Arts: The Basics” and “Anti-Racism & Social Justice in Dance” which are free courses available to the public.Through intergroup dialogue facilitation, justice centered workshops, and embodied practice, she helps individuals and organizations navigate difficult conversations about race and systemic injustice in a movement toward collective liberation.

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She also infuses Black Feminist and social justice praxis into her creative processes as a dance dramaturg. She is a co-founder of Thick Like Me... a new dance organization boldly placing thick Black women dancers at the center of creative and academic discourse. Together, we promote body liberation and advocate for the systemic dismantling of racism, sexism, and fat-phobia in dance and beyond. 

Dr. Alex also holds a Bachelor of Science in Theater with minors in Dance and Advertising and a certificate in Cultural Competency from Central Michigan University. She previously performed with Hue Productions and the University Theater Dance Company.