Alexandra Martin – California, USA

Alexandra Martin is a professional ballet dancer and scoliosis movement specialist for dancers based in San Francisco, California.

She received her pre-professional ballet training at San Francisco Ballet School and City Ballet School- San Francisco before moving abroad to Moscow, Russia at the invitation to study at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, more commonly known as the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.

Alexandra has performed with such companies as Moscow State Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Oakland Ballet, to name a few. Since 2018 she has been coached by world-renowned ballerina Lorena Feijóo, former principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba, and others. Alexandra also holds a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Santa Barbara.

As a hypermobile ballet dancer with minor scoliosis, Alexandra was introduced to Scolio-Pilates in 2022 after receiving Schroth Method physical therapy in 2021. Unfamiliar with scoliosis-specific exercise in her youth, Scolio-Pilates led to a new understanding of her body and how to apply its concepts to her dancing, cross training, and daily life. Surprised by the lack of scoliosis specialists, particularly those with a movement background, Alexandra embarked on the path of becoming a scoliosis movement specialist for athletes. She became an Authorized Scolio-Pilates Practitioner in 2024.

Given the high percentage of ballet dancers with scoliosis (up to 40% compared to 2-3% of the general population) and Alexandra’s background, she is passionate about working with pre-professional and professional ballet dancers, as well as other artistic athletes. Her clients have included an Olympic rhythmic gymnast from Team Great Britain, as well as dancers from San Francisco Ballet and Alberta Ballet.

As of Fall 2024, Alexandra works with clients in-person in San Francisco, CA. She also provides worldwide consults via Zoom, helping guide clients through the often confusing journey of scoliosis treatment and offering referrals in her scoliosis/ballet network.

You can learn more about Alexandra and her practice Spine Society on Instagram @spinesociety. You can also read her articles in Pointe Magazine and Dance Teacher Magazine, such as Dancing With Scoliosis: How I Learned to Work With My Unique Spine.