When Alexandra Sergakis was in 7th grade, she found out that her father received a new job opportunity. Nevertheless, that job opportunity was in the United States of America and Sergakis lived in Australia her whole life up until that point.

Her brother, Kosta, and her parents made the move and she is grateful for how helpful they have been.

“They’ve been so supportive,” Sergakis said. “It was very hard, especially when they broke the news that my dad got offered a job in America. That’s why we had to come over here, so it was hard. And our reactions weren’t the best as you can imagine. But we were all in it together.”

Sergakis adjusted to living in America and she now enjoys her time in the United States. She misses the rest of her family, but there is one thing that always keeps her going and that is dance.

There were many competitions Sergakis competed in and she mostly danced tap, and ballet. However, she eventually dropped ballet because she enjoyed the other two styles more.

During one competition she danced in, she saw one dancer that stood out. This led her to Pittsburgh and Point Park University.

“When I was competing in high school in dance, I competed against this one girl and I thought that she was really good,” Sergakis said. “I found out that she was going to Point Park, and she got accepted into Point Park. And I said ‘why not try?’ I’m probably not on the same level as her, but let’s see what happens. So I auditioned and I got in. That was a very happy moment.”

Sergakis made new friends and danced with many other avid dancers so far at Point Park. She earned an opportunity at Point Park to have a tap solo in “Autumn Leaves,” which was choreographed by student Madison Piper.

“I haven’t done a top solo since way back in high school, so it was kind of like, ‘Oh, my God, we’re getting back into this again,’” Sergakis said. “It was a fun time to just learn it and get to perform a solo because usually, there are not many opportunities for someone to perform a solo. I was very grateful to be given that opportunity, especially for being tapped.”

This year, Sergakis recently became the treasurer of the tap club. Although she admits her favorite style is jazz and she has a jazz concentration, tap is a close second place for her.

“I wanted to be on the board this year because I did go to a few classes last year, but I felt like if I were actually on the board, I would go and show up,” Sergakis said. “I have been there every weekend, which is a good thing. It keeps me going.”
As for the club, Sergakis said that the attendance has been smaller with seniors graduating last spring, but they want to expand and more people to show up

“We just rely on people showing up and I guess it’s just who you know with the classes as well,” Sergakis said. “Some people are more known than others, or more people will show up to some classes, so it’s just trying to get your name out there getting exposure, and inviting people to come join.”

The tap club is one activity Sergakis loves at Point Park. She is excited to see where dance takes her and she believes that Point Park puts her in a spot where she can succeed.

“I would definitely say, technique-wise, 100%, it’s really good,” Sergakis said. “The teachers also specialize in something different, so there’s a great variety, and I do enjoy that. There are many opportunities to take classes from different teachers.”

She added that she also likes the electives the dance program offers, such as African ballroom and other cultural styles.

Sergakis is now a sophomore at Point Park and she is also in the premed program, looking to become a physical therapist. She is looking forward to her next two and a half years in Pittsburgh.

“It’s a feeling of success that I’ve actually come this far and it is a hard program to get into and it is a fairly hard career to get into as well,” Sergakis said. “It’s hard mental games, so this whole process has just been hard mentally, but all of us experience the ups and downs a little bit.”

Sergakis has one message to those who love dancing. Everyone is welcome to tap club.

“As long as someone has a pair of tap shoes, they’re welcome to come in,” Sergakis said. “Even if you don’t have a pair of tap shoes, you’re still making rhythms with your feet and it’s a good thing to motivate your brain to keep going. It also helps memory and it’s just a fun time. No matter how you feel about tap it’s always encouraged to come and have fun.”