About Alden

Alden McShan was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama where she grew up training at The Dance Centre, the Alabama Ballet, and performed with the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers starting at the age of 8.  Alden pursued her dance training at the State University of New York at Purchase where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Arts Management. She spent her summers participating in American Ballet Theatre intensives in California and New York, the San Francisco Conservatory and Impulstanz International Dance Festival in Vienna, Austria. Professionally, she toured with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular performing the role of “Clara”, danced with project-based company CBGDance in New York City and toured with Odyssey Dance Theater in Utah for their "Thriller" production.

She has always been passionate about the Tuscaloosa community. She was the 2012 Tuscaloosa County Distinguished Young Woman and serves on the DYW board as choreographer and show director each season. She was granted the Druid Arts Award for Dance Artist of 2013, and the Druid Arts Award for Dance Educator in 2022. She serves in the listing for the Tuscaloosa Arts Councils "Spectra" programming which brings educational opportunities in the arts to local classrooms. She is the Artistic Director of the Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, where she directs the annual "Nutcracker" production at the Bama Theatre and Spring Performances for the past 9 years. She loves teaching and being involved at The Dance Centre and is passionate about inspiring the next generation of dancers. The role she cherishes most is being 'mom' to her twin boys, Phillips and John Martin, and raising them in the Tuscaloosa community with her husband, Ty.