(orchestral music) - My name is Elijah Lancaster, and I'm an Ailey II dancer.

I was adopted at three from Haiti.

My mom adopted a bunch of kids at the same time.

We moved to Tennessee and then from there we transitioned over to Arkansas, and that's where my dance started really taking root.

My inspiration definitely does come from my family.

I really appreciated how they've let me be able to pursue my dreams.

Love you mom.

(speaker giggling) I think I was about age six.

I was in a theater watching Complexions.

It's another dance company based in New York.

And I was seeing a specific dancer named Desmond Richardson.

He was on stage in a solo, in a spotlight with a chair and the moment his leg went up, I saw the muscles.

I saw the just vibrance he had on the stage and I knew I wanted to be in that same realm as he was.

So, sitting on the edge of my seat, six years old, just really into it.

And I was like, wow, this is what I wanna do.

Like I want to invest my life to be what he is right now.

When I made the commitment, it started at a small little studio called Aspire Gymnastics and Dance and Cheer.

I did the dance part.

And then from there I grew out of that.

I would do my school all day, get into the car and drive two hours, do my homework while we were driving.

And then I would dance for a couple hours, get done around maybe 10, drive back home, sleep, and then do the whole thing three or four times throughout the week.

At some point I did have to like stop going to public school and started homeschooling, because it was just a little bit too much to handle.

(gentle piano music) My sister started training a little bit after I did.

She saw me do some competition here and there and she's like, oh, I wanna try.

(funky music) My sister and I were involved in competitions when we were young and they were actually very strenuous.

What competition did for me honestly, was a lot.

It taught me to be versatile in all types of dance and it also taught me discipline.

How to be on time and how to just really be an all around dancer, not just in the dance aspect, but also in a maturity aspect.

Because it takes a lot to dance all day long.

Still keep your cool, still be a kid and still have fun, but like know what you need to do at the end of the day.

(funky music) Learning about Alvin Ailey was honestly coming from my mom.

I think my mom really wanted me to find my roots in black ancestry and Ailey was the best way to do that.

It helped me involve myself a little bit better because in Arkansas, it's kind of hard to find an outlet for being a black man there.

So knowing that I was going to be in a place where I was surrounded by black excellence, it was the perfect place to go.

(upbeat music) The works that Alvin Ailey did, he was able to really show a black struggle through an art, but he made it very universal in a way, where other people can relate to it.

- Try to break through, try to cut the through the space.

Yes, cut the space.

- I personally think it's the world's best dance company because there's so much that we're doing.

We get a lot of different variety.

We get a lot of different styles and we have a lot of people come in and teach us and we all have different mindsets we can switch to with each of the choreographers.

So it's taught me where I want to be, where I want to go and what I want to do.

But also it taught me how to find myself in this space and be confident with who I am and knowing that I matter in the space, just as much as everybody else.

What do I feel when I dance?

Most of the time it's happiness, because I mean, it's my happy place.

Other times it could be sadness, depending on the piece and tension as well.

I always like to make a reason or a statement as to why I'm doing the things that I do.

So then it's worth more to me and hopefully to others as well when they're watching it.

It is very rigorous to be a professional dancer, because it's really a commitment to a lifestyle.

You have to have the self discipline.

You have to make sure you know what you're doing when you walk into the building.

You have to also look a part, because kids are looking up to you and they're wanting to be where you are.

So you have to really just be in a mindset of not perfectionist because nobody's perfect, but also keep your cool and know that you are here for a reason.

And there's something beautiful in you that this building sees.

And they're trying to cultivate that.

(upbeat music) My days usually go from about 10 to six and I will dance probably most of those hours.

We have a 30 minute lunch break and almost every hour we have maybe a five or a two minute break.

So it's very much on my feet.

Keep going.

And I'm constantly moving.

(Artistic Director speaking indistinctly) - Elijah comes in every day with his full self with this bright energy willing to do whatever needs to be done for the art.

- Yes, that's beautiful.

Yes.

- It is really also what I find so beautiful about Elijah.

He's always very mindful.

He asks, "Okay, what do we need here?"

It's really not about him only.

He wants to know how his part can serve the art and can serve the moment.

And that's really, it's rare that you get someone who is so present, mindful, empathetic, and generous.

(indistinct murmuring) - Working with my company members has been fantastic.

Everybody's so open, so nice.

And we really bring each other up throughout the process.

It may be strenuous at times, but we know that we're all in it together.

And that feeling in the room of that vibrating like excitement of what's to come next and where we're going to go and how tour is going to be.

It's really exciting to know that we're all growing in multiple ways, maturity wise, dance wise, artistry wise and just as human beings.

Knowing what the world needs and trying to be that for the world.

(intense music)