Merceditas Mañago-Alexander is originally from Manila, Philippines, and began dancing classical ballet at age six. By age nine, she performed the role of “Clara” in The Nutcracker with Ballet Philippines – one of the leading companies in Manila - for two consecutive years. At age 12, Ballet Philippines invited her to become an apprentice. She worked her way up to becoming a principal dancer bin the company and danced key roles in major ballets, Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, and La Bayadere. In 1986, Mañago-Alexander represented her country at the III USA International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi.

For this participation, she was given the “Outstanding Student Artist Award” by the President’s Committee on Culture and the Arts of the University of the Philippines, for representing her country. That same year, she moved to New York City to work with Feld Ballets/NY directed by Eliot Feld. Since then, she has worked with Ballet Hispanico of NY directed by Tina Ramirez, Elisa Monte Dance Company, Pepatian under Merian Soto and Pepon Osorio, and Doug Varone and Dancers.

After retiring from concert dancing, she began teaching open classes at Danspace NY, which became Dance New Amsterdam and Sandra Cameron Studio. While working with Doug Varone, she was also teaching at The Ailey® School and other dance school settings – 92nd St. Y, Movement Research, Mark Morris Dance Center, the Metropolitan Opera (Company Class), and Ballet Hispanico Pa'lante Scholars & Company class. She has also taught in university settings – Rutgers/Mason Gross School of the Performing Arts in New Brunswick, N. J., Marymount Manhattan College, NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, Hollins University, Sarah Lawrence College, and Montclair University in New Jersey.