Cleveland Ballet’s Alexander Guzman Designs Costumes Built For Dance

Though some have claimed that “no one cares” about ballet anymore, this couldn’t be less true in the Land. Sorry, Timothee Chalamet, but it appears Cleveland’s ballet and art scene is thriving, filled to the brim with talented and innovative artists.

The Cleveland Ballet is a resident company of Playhouse Square with dozens of performances scheduled there throughout the year. The company will wrap up its 2025-2026 season with Cinderella from May 15 to May 17.

We caught up with Cleveland Ballet dancer Alexander Guzman, known both for his performances on Northeast Ohio stages and his work creating costume designs for ballet dancers. As a child, Guzman often found himself dancing around his home in Ponce, Puerto Rico. At just 15 years old, he started dancing with the Ballet Senorial and never looked back. 

Guzman is also a leading force for ChoreoLab, the dancer-initiated performance that showcases original choreography and raises money for local dancers. This year, ChoreoLab takes place at Near West Theatre in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood on June 5.

RELATED: Abrepaso Flamenco Showcases a Unique Art Form in Cleveland

Catch up with the artist below:

Cleveland Magazine: Has dancing professionally always been your dream?

Alexander Guzman: Actually, my brother and my sister started ballet before me, but they quit because they didn't like it. And then I asked my mom if I could, and my mom was like, “Hey, I don't have any money, so I can’t put you in ballet because it's pretty expensive.” Then my friend in the ballet school said there’s a scholarship they give to men. I did the audition, and then they offered it to me. After I kept training, I fell more in love with ballet. It wasn't a hobby, it was more like a passion. 

CM: What makes Cleveland a special place to perform?

AG: Cleveland has a very special atmosphere in art. It's not just ballet; it's their art in general. We have the museum, we have the orchestra. It's like a perfect environment for an artist to grow. Combining Playhouse Square with all the art forms in the city, it's very welcoming to grow as an artist, not just as a dancer. 

CM: What inspired you to start designing costumes and dancewear?

AG: So, back when I was in Puerto Rico, my sister participated in a pageant competition. Throughout the process, I was with her backstage, seeing these beautiful gowns and renowned designers from Puerto Rico as well. And then something clicked in me: that I love fashion. This is an art form, part of my identity and part of what I do as a ballet dancer, but also in a different branch. So then, when I graduated from high school, I went to the Academia Serrant to study fashion design. And then I was studying fashion design and dancing as well. So it was a little complicated, but it was doable. The funny part is that my professor was the designer who created the gown for my sister’s pageant. And then from there, I just jumped from fashion to costume. I really love to make costumes for ballet or any performance.

CM: How has your work as a costume designer translated into your work on stage?

AG: Because I already dance and I know how the costumes should fit for dancers, it gives me a clearer vision of the structure and how the movement of the fabric or the movement of the structure needs to be done for the dancer to be comfortable, because we want that. We want the dancer to feel comfortable and beautiful. That's the goal of designing for ballet dancers. Everything is aligned. 

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