Carlos Stroia

Alicia has the honor of performing many lead roles in the Nutcracker, most predominately the Arabian Dancer, the Spanish Lead, the Snow Queen, and Sugar Plum Fairy.

Alicia Ann Le

Alicia's primary training has always been under the instruction and direction of Carlos Cornel Stroia; Alicia has had additional training from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Alicia is a graduate from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Bio-Medical Science and Pre-Physical Therapy. Alicia also has a passion for inspiring the upcoming generations of dancers by instructing with the Stroia Dance Studios for the past ten years.

Born in Transylvania, Romania, Carlos Cornel Stroia founder of the Stroia Ballet Studios and Company, attended the School of Choreography in Cluj, Romania were he graduated with honors in 1974 at the age of seventeen. He made his professional debut at the age of 14, dancing for the Vienna Stats Opera in Vienna, Austria. He continued to perform as a guest artist internationally while completing his studies in Cluj, Romania. At 18, he represented Romania at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. In 1977 he joined the Campagnia-Clasico Cosi-Stefanescu in Italy. Since then, he has danced as a guest artist with companies in over twenty six countries around the world, including Ballet Nacional De Cuba, Teatro La Scala-Milano Italy, the New York Metropolitan Opera, Teatrul De Opera si Ballet Bucuresti, Romania, Hamburg Ballet, and the Minnesota Dance Theatre among others.

In 1982 he was faced with a difficult decision to defect from his native country, Romania, when offered a position with the renowned American Ballet Theatre, but decided to turn down the offer because of his fear for family still remaining in his native home land. While visiting a friend in Minneapolis and seeing the need in central Minnesota he decided to open his first of eventually three studios in Little Falls. Acting as artistic director, choreographer and principal dancer he has devoted himself to teaching, performing, and working to build a company that offers professional performances to central Minnesota audiences while giving hundreds of students the opportunity to experience classical ballet training and the rigors of stage performance. He has created a rare place, where students can explore unlimited potentials in the disciplines of ballet, self expression and musicality.
    Students of the Stroia Ballet Studio have gone onto pursue careers as dancers throughout the country, winning scholarships to the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, also known as the Kirov Ballet, the University of Utah’s Department of Ballet, University of Minnesota, Minnesota Ballet in Duluth and to join professional companies such as the Cape Cod Ballet and the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.
    Other highlights of Mr. Stroia’s career include being nominated for the 2003 McKnight Distinguished Artist award, the 2004 Paramount Theatre Lifetime Achievement Award, contributing to community events and using his choreography talents in collaboration with other performing arts organizations. His students hold him in the highest regard, and as such he is able to influence them in a very positive way. He encourages them to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and believes that the greatest gifts that he can give them through his teaching are those of a strong, healthy body and a deep sense of self-worth and self-discipline.

Alicia Le has been a part of Stroia Ballet for over 20 years. She has performed in many of the company productions, including Swan Lake Act  II, Grand Pas de Quatre, Peter and the Wolf, and Les Sylphides. As well,  she has performed in many of Stroia’s original productions of Texas Dream, Shadows of a Thought, Silhouettes, Halloween Awakening, and Be My Valentine. She has performed prestigious variations such as Gamzatti from La Bayadere , Kitri from Don Quixote, Liza from Lafille Mal Garde, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Myrtha from Giselle, Black Swan from Swan Lake, excerpts from Divertissemento,  several variations from Paquita as well as many original contemporary and lyrical pieces.