Dancer Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish: ‘Filipinos are my people, but my tribe is Ailey.’

A dreamlike duet “Me, Myself and You” is part of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 65th anniversary celebration.

Choreographed by former Alvin Ailey dancer Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish to music by Duke Ellington and arrangement by Damien Sneed, “Me, Myself and You” will travel all across the United States and perform in 22 cities. 

“It is a dance about reminiscence. It conjures the memories of love and passion for a woman asking herself if she should let go or forge ahead,” describes the company in a press statement.

Elizabeth was born in Manila and was the youngest member of Ballet Philippines before she joined Ailey in the 1970s. She shares growing up in a  family where she is the only girl and the youngest of three siblings, and how dance became part of her life as she was coming of age.

“Though my parents were supportive of my taking dance classes, it was my grandmother on my mother’s side who was instrumental in my beginnings of dance,” she said in an interview with The FilAm.

A diagnosis of scoliosis made dance and its assorted movements essential to her health.

“The  doctor suggested in order to help my posture that I take some dance lessons,” she said. ‘Lola’ was so dedicated in making sure she didn’t miss any classes, she would “bribe” her with a mocha shake from Dairy Queen.   

She joined Ballet Philippines at the age of 11, and at 15, its youngest dancer. Ailey was one of the companies that came to the Philippines to perform at the Cultural Center. 

“Seeing Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was my lightbulb moment. This is the company I would like to dance with,” she recalled telling herself.

She came to New York City in 1979, receiving scholarships to The Joffrey Ballet School, The Graham School, and The Ailey School.  Elizabeth also danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ohad Naharin, and Joyce Trisler Danscompany.

She then joined Alvin Ailey  as its first Filipina dancer, and was a principal from 1984-1997. The New York Times described her as “a cool, still, lyrical center of the Ailey storm.” 

During her career, Elizabeth worked with some of the most prominent choreographers, including Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Jerome Robbins, Talley Beatty, Lar Lubovitch, John Butler, Ulysses Dove, and Judith Jamison.

“I was very flexible and really didn’t know how to control my body until I came to NY and studied at the Ailey School,” she said. “I had so many influences in dance but most of all I love Ailey.  I totally fit the mold. As I’ve said, Filipinos are my people, but my tribe is Ailey.”

Elizabeth has not forgotten unfair comments that she would never make it in New York as a dancer much less join the Alvin Ailey Company.

“I can proudly say that not only did I make it to the company but that I am the only Filipina thus far,” she said.

In 1997, she was featured in Dance Magazine’s cover article and named by Avenue Magazine as one of the 500 most influential Asian-Americans. The Ma-Yi Theater Award was given to her in 2017, honoring her contributions to the arts. After leaving Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, she was asked to perform on Broadway in  “The King and I” as Eliza. After her Broadway debut, she returned to concert dance, making several guest appearances in the United States and abroad.

She has taught at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts through the Cap21 program and the Graduate School.   She was invited and commissioned to choreograph in China, Cuba, and France as well as companies in the United States.   She was asked to create a Zoom choreography for the 2020 SOHO International Film Festival, as well as for the Philippine Dance Festival 2021 during the pandemic. She is married to Robert Dobrish, a prominent matrimonial attorney in Manhattan.

Reflecting on her journey, her transition to choreography, as well as some “hurdles and disappointments,” she remains “so appreciative” in so many ways.

“I never thought I would be creating and want to after I retired from dancing,” she said. “I always felt deep inside that the dancer in me was only a beginning of a bigger mission which was to create.”