Alec Mercado is a dance major at UC Irvine. He began ballet at 7 and trained with Long Beach Ballet Academy for 11 years. Alex has perform ed soloist roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty, and has competed in YAGP, placing in the top three in Classical and Contemporary Men’s Senior Division. He has attended summer intensives at Long Beach Ballet, Kirov Academy, Jaqueline’s School of Ballet, and Oklahoma City Ballet, receiving the Spirit of the MACY Award in 2021.