About Alice Heller

Alice Heller has been dancing for most of her life. Her focus for 2026 is on Nia and Qi Gong along with African dance and early movement education. She has been teaching children and adults for over 38 years. Starting with the classic dance genres, she moved into African dance in 1990 and studied seriously since including performing and teaching.

Alice is a passionate student, performer, instructor and choreographer of West African dance. Alice has been a member of various dance groups in Boston including Aconcone, directed by Ibrahim Camara, Fatou N'Daiye, Astou Sanga as well as Under the Sun Dance and Drum led by Fatou Carol Sylla. Alice also danced with her own troupe Teriya that was formed in 2000 and performed for many events especially the Build a School in West Africa benefit concerts up until 2020. Other influences come from teachers in the Boston and New England area including:

Seydou Coulibaly, Fatou N’Daiye, Pape N'Daiye, Marilyn Middleton Sylla, Joh Camara, Marie Basse Wiles , as well as Guinea’s Youssouf Koumbassa among others. She also has studied drumming with many teachers including Moussa Traore.

Alice recognizes the practice of African dance and drumming as a tremendous force for healing, grounding and empowerment and honors her elders and community. It is her honor to share the inspiration and movement foundation of these ancient traditions. Besides African-based dance and drumming, Alice's studies moved her to work with children in preschools and private class settings. She has taught jazz, creative movement, hip hop, improvisational dance and gymnastics and more recently internal martial arts(Qi Gong) and Nia. She earned her White belt Nia certificate in 2011, Blue Belt August 2013 and Brown Belt August 2017 and Moving to Heal 2019. Her Qi Gong practice started around the same time as Nia. Her teachers include Roger Jahnke, Mantak Chia, Eva Wong and Michael Robbins among others.

Nia (www.nianow.com) classes integrate dance, martial arts and the healing arts including yoga. Alice brings all modalities to her class making them unique and moving - internally as well as externally.

Teaching in the Metro Boston area until 2021 when she moved to Williamsburg, MA, Alice shares her passion for connecting body/mind through classes, workshops and drum/dance circles. She teaches at Universities as well as home studio in Williamsburg MA .She also will travel to teach workshops in the North Shore and Boston area as well as private sessions.

Alice enjoys sharing and igniting the passion of others through classes, workshops and drum/dance circles throughout Massachusetts. She now lives in Western Ma. and has her own studio.

2016 article published in the Lincoln Journal, click on this link to read.