She’s Still Dancing

From a small-town dance studio in Jasper to Radio City Music Hall and beyond, choreographer, director, and educator, Stacy Latham Alley has built a life defined by movement.

Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Justin Hunter and courtesy of Stacy Alley

Stacy Latham Alley’s life has always been a dance- one that began on a small stage in Jasper, Alabama, and carried her farther than she ever imagined.

Born at People’s Hospital in 1974, Stacy grew up surrounded by the kind of community that quietly cheers you on, even when your dreams stretch far beyond the county line. Her father was from Nauvoo, and her mother was from Jasper; they met while working at Top Dollar. They were practical people who believed in hard work, but they also recognized their daughter’s spark from an early age.

Even as a child, Stacy’s dreams reached past the horizon. “I was lucky to have supportive parents and a wonderful teacher who gave me professional-level training, even in a small town,” she recalls.

Dancing at Jasper’s Marilyn Sanders School of Dance gave her the space to start, but Birmingham opened the door. Under the bright lights for Summerfest and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, she discovered what life onstage could feel like.

When she was just eleven, her world opened even wider. While performing in Glittertind at what is now the Virginia Samford Theatre, Stacy caught the attention of a New York talent agent who approached her mother with an offer of representation. Her mom laughed it off at first, but Stacy begged for the chance, and soon she was on a flight to New York City for what was supposed to be just a few months. Instead, she spent the next five years in the cast of the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, living in New York City from October to January and performing on one of the world’s most famous stages.

“I remember walking into the audition in 1985 and seeing hundreds of polished dancers, and just panicking a bit because my mom had made my skirt at the last minute and I was brand new to the industry,” she says.

Within months, she and her brother, Bradley, who hadn’t even intended to audition but was ultimately cast before Stacy, became fixtures at Radio City Music Hall and were performing for thousands of people a day.

Those years in New York became her own version of a performing arts academy. From sixth through tenth grade, Stacy studied with private tutors while rehearsing and performing. “It was intense but amazing,” she says. “I learned discipline, professionalism, and how to stay grounded, and Jasper helped with that. Coming home kept me from losing myself in the industry.

After high school, she set her sights on Los Angeles. At the University of Southern California, she earned her bachelor’s degree in theatre while being an active member of the USC Song Leaders. Known for their energy, precision, and more than thirty routines perfected each year, the team gave her countless opportunities to perform at athletic, alumni, and community events. Being part of that close-knit group reminded Stacy how much she loved collaboration, a lesson that continues to shape the way she directs and teaches today.

After earning her degree, Stacy spent several years performing in various settings and locations. While performing on cruise ships, she met jazz musician Rob Alley, who became both her creative and life partner. When her father’s health began to decline, the couple returned to Alabama so she could be closer to family and attend graduate school at the University of Alabama.

Graduate school reignited another part of her artistry: teaching. “I’ve always had a teacher’s instinct…some might even say bossy,” she laughs. Directing one-act plays as an undergraduate student revealed her love for guiding others, and her experience as a teen helping teach dance had already shown her the joy of helping others grow. “It was gradual, but I realized I loved the classroom as much as the stage.”

After earning her master’s degree in acting, she joined the faculty at Arkansas State University at the age of 28, later being promoted and tenured. Following her time at Arkansas State, she accepted a position at the University of Alabama, where she still teaches today as the Head of Musical Theatre within the Department of Theatre and Dance. “It combines everything I love: dance, acting, storytelling, and helping people grow,” she says. “It’s my dream job.”

Her career has since evolved into a blend of artistry and mentorship, encompassing both local and global endeavors. Stacy and Rob have performed together in A Conversation Between Tap and Trumpet, an improvisational fusion of dance and jazz that has taken them everywhere from Alabama gymnastics meets to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She’s taught workshops in Tanzania, directed in Denmark, and performed in Chile. Each new experience, she says, sharpens her artistry and widens her empathy. “International work reminds me that movement is universal,” she says. “You don’t need words to connect.”

In the classroom, she brings a real-world perspective to students preparing for professional careers. “Working outside the university keeps me current,” she explains. “I often involve students in my projects so they can gain experience. It’s the best way to learn.”

Her directorial work spans from the intensity of August: Osage County to the raw energy of Spring Awakening. Although the material changes, her passionate approach remains the same. And when words fall short, movement takes over. She says that movement creates environment, mood, and emotion. “When speaking isn’t enough, you sing. When singing isn’t enough, you dance,” she says. “Even in non-dance shows, physicality tells the story. Movement is my language, and I hope I am still dancing into my eighties and beyond.”

Today, her work continues to evolve, blending family, art, and teaching in a rhythm uniquely her own. Her daughter, Evy, now studies music at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in the United Kingdom, following the same creative current that once carried her mother. When Stacy isn’t teaching or directing, you’ll find her with Rob and Evy at a concert or music festival.

Looking back, every stage of Stacy’s life, from Jasper to Radio City and from travel to teaching, has been connected by movement. “Dance and theatre taught me everything I know about discipline, storytelling, and empathy, and I want my students to feel that too,” she says.

Through her work, Stacy’s focus is helping people feel seen and encouraging them to keep moving even when life gets hard. Because to her, motion isn’t simply art but the heartbeat of life. 78