Raleigh Teen Wins Industry Dance Award

Last month, a Raleigh teenager got to rub shoulders on the red carpet with some of Hollywood’s most famous dancers and choreographers at the Avalon Theater—including Nigel Lythgoe of “So you think you can dance?” and Carrie Ann Inaba of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Alexa Robertson, 15, was one of several dancers nationwide awarded $2,500 at the second annual Industry Dance Awards Aug. 19 for her commitment to the dance industry while fighting cancer.“If you’re someone cool in the dance world, you’re there,” says Michelle Colon, executive administrator of Dancers Against Cancer, which funds the Circle of Hope Dancers Foundation, the event sponsor.

A survivor now for 10 years, Robertson was diagnosed with Wilms’ Tumor when she was just 4 years old.

A sophomore at Cardinal Gibbons High School, Robertson not only made a full recovery, she’s led an impressive dance career in Raleigh, spending the past nine years dancing with CC & Co. Dance Complex. Robertson has agents in both New York and L.A. and works occasionally in television and movies.

“I hope that my story inspires others who are fighting similar battles,” says Robertson. “I’m planning on donating the $2,500 to the Make A Wish Foundation. Although only 5 years old when I benefited from Make A Wish, my trip to Disney World with my family is still one of my fondest memories of my life. I want to help other children battling life threatening illnesses to have an experience of a lifetime like I did.”