Alexandra Durocher
Dance Instructor & Actor
CLASS OF 2021
, AGE 31
Alexandra Durocher is an avid volunteer in Fort McMurray, as a dance instructor, actor, intimacy coordinator, and member of the Arts Council Wood Buffalo board of directors.
She works for Fort McMurray Catholic School District, and chatted with YMM about advice, risks, and more.
YMM: What’s the best advice you ever received?
AD:
To be a good leader, you need to make sure you are comfortable performing the tasks that you are distributing and lead by example. If you only tell them, but aren’t able or willing to help, then the project will not be successful.
YMM: What would you say to your 10-year-old self?
AD:
I would love to tell 10-year-old me that it’s okay to think differently. That thinking outside of the box is where great ideas come from. The world needs people who think creatively to be successful, and that when she is older it will come in handy in all aspects of her life.
YMM: What is something people are always surprised to learn about you?
AD:
People are always surprised to learn that I am an introvert. In my job and in theatre I seem very outgoing, and definitely not shy, but this has a lot to do with my customer service background. I enjoy being with people and creating art, but I need a day or two on my own to recharge before I can feel whole again and ready to give more creatively.
YMM: What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
AD:
The biggest risk I have ever taken was traveling to Switzerland and Italy on my own. I booked a flight and left 10 days later. I was lucky enough to stay with a friend I had made in high school when he was a foreign exchange student, but because it was such a last minute trip he wasn’t able to get time off work so I was on my own to discover the beauty of Bern, Zürich, and Geneva during the days. I then took a seven-hour train ride to spend a weekend in Florence soaking up as much Italian culture as I could.
YMM: How have your priorities changed in the last 10 years?
AD:
They have shifted from wanting to learn as much as I can as fast as I can and always saying yes, to wanting to be the best that I can be in certain aspects of my life and job. I want to be really good at a few things instead of mediocre at a bunch of things. This has helped me prioritize what I want in my personal life because I am able to balance what I need and want to better myself instead of always saying yes and feeling like I am making it up as I go.
