Today we’d like to introduce you to Alonna Stigger.
Hi Alonna , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a Detroit-born dancer, choreographer, certified life coach, and mother whose journey has been shaped by movement, faith, and personal transformation. My journey with movement began early in elementary school at Academy of Oak Park Marlow, where cheering first introduced me to performing. Outside of structured spaces, dance was always a natural part of my life, something I grew up doing freely at family gatherings and with my cousins.
In middle school, I joined a Christian hip hop team called Joshua Generation, where I began training more seriously and learned dance as discipline, expression, purpose, ministry, and faith. I later trained at Star Factory Artist Development, owned by Brandon Smith, where my mentor Jarell Gordy played a key role in shaping my foundation as an artist. Those early environments gave me structure, identity, and a deeper understanding of my purpose in movement.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to perform and dance behind artists such as Elijah J, Brielle Lesley, Payroll Giovanni, and others. I also danced with the Detroit Pistons as a child and later returned in 2023 as a dancer, which felt like a full-circle moment in my journey. By 15, I was already teaching classes, stepping into leadership early and developing my passion for guiding others through movement.
A major turning point in my life came when I became a mother. That experience changed everything, it deepened my purpose, strengthened my resilience, and shifted how I move through both life and career. After becoming a mother, I also experienced postpartum depression, which brought me into one of the most challenging seasons of my life. I’ve had to push through internal battles that others couldn’t always see or understand, learning how to keep going even in silence.
Through that season, my faith became my anchor. I’ve learned that on a personal journey of healing and growth, not everyone will fully understand it, and that’s okay. What matters most is staying grounded in purpose, trusting the process, and leaning on God through every step.
Alongside my artistic journey, I’ve navigated seasons of mental health challenges, including negative self-talk, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome. There were times I felt I needed to constantly do more to prove I was enough. Over time, I’ve learned to pause and recognize what I’ve already built. Instead of chasing validation through achievement, I now use my lived experience as evidence of growth and let that guide me forward. Through faith, discipline, and healing, I’ve learned to choose alignment over pressure.
Today, I am a certified life coach, and I intentionally blend dance with wellness, mindset development, nervous system regulation, and faith. What began as a way to build confidence became healing, expression, and purpose. Coaching became a natural extension of my artistry—helping others reconnect with themselves and grow through their own journeys.
Now I am focused on building a sustainable creative and coaching business that integrates all parts of who I am. At 27, I understand that growth is not linear. I’ve experienced challenging seasons like anyone else, but my faith, purpose, and resilience continue to anchor me.
My journey has been shaped by mentors, motherhood, performance, and lived experience, but most importantly by transformation. I am currently in a season of rebuilding and redefining, stepping fully into alignment as an artist, coach, and woman.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve dealt with mental health struggles like self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and postpartum depression after becoming a mother. There were seasons where I questioned myself deeply, but my faith helped me stay grounded and keep going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work focuses on blending dance with wellness, mindset awareness, nervous system regulation, and faith. I specialize in using movement as a tool for healing, confidence-building, and self-connection, while continuing to grow my coaching work as I step more fully into that space.
I’m known for my versatility as a dancer and teacher, and my ability to adapt across different styles, spaces, and creative environments while still maintaining strong intention and expression in my work.
What I’m most proud of is my ability to evolve and keep going through different seasons of life, including mental health challenges and motherhood, while still choosing growth and purpose.
What sets me apart is that I don’t separate movement from mindset. For me, dance is not just performance—it’s expression, healing, and transformation in motion.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Yes, just that I’m still growing and evolving in real time. Everything I do is rooted in faith, purpose, and the belief that movement can be healing in more ways than just physically. I hope my journey reminds people that it’s okay to be in process, to rebuild, and to keep showing up for yourself even in difficult seasons.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Likemindzalonna
