Peter Mayer was recently named one of New Orleans CityBusiness magazine’s Best Places To Work for the ninth time. One reason? Because the agency is made up of interesting people who are not only creative on the job but in their personal lives – and that makes working here fun.

For this installment, After Hours Blogger/Associate Creative Director Lori Archer-Smith sat down with Broadcast Producer Alexis Vicknair, who founded Roux La La, one of the city’s most popular all-female marching groups.

Lori: Before we talk about Roux La La, let’s talk a little about you. Where are you from? What did you study in school?

Alexis: I’m from New Orleans, born and raised. I went to college at Boston University, where I majored in Film Production and minored in Spanish. And I would use the couple of extra class credits I had each semester to take dance classes.

Lori: Okay, tell us a little about Roux La La.

Alexis: We’re a 30-member dance/marching group that puts a huge emphasis on costuming, dancing, and of course, all-around revelry. It started in 2009, when a group of friends were watching the Muses parade during Mardi Gras and talking about how much we loved both the female dance groups and the band flag corps. We had the brilliant idea of blending the two – and a year later, Roux La La marched in Mardi Gras parades.

Roux La La’s approach is to celebrate Mardi Gras in the traditional fashion by being something we aren’t. Going back to its cultural origins, Mardi Gras was the only time a peasant could dress as a king and vice versa. So this theme holds true for the group in many ways.

We volunteer with various organizations, like New Orleans Pride, the Louisiana SPCA and the various free-to-the-public music festivals throughout the year. We also, on occasion, will put on our own fundraiser for a charity or cause. We also support other dance groups in their fundraising activities.

Lori: What’s your favorite Roux La La story? On the parade route?

Alexis: One of my favorite parade route things is hearing commentary from the crowd. One year we had a circus theme, and our dance routine was kind of a marionette style, very jerky and robotic. And we heard someone yell, “What are they, from outta space?!” With last year’s cabaret theme, we got “They too old for that!” (Yeah, we know. That’s the joke.) And I won’t even go into the commentary we got the year we wore thongitards (that’s a thong leotard).

Lori: Marching groups have become very cool in recent years. Why do you think that is?

Alexis: Three other marching groups debuted the same year we did. I think there’s this desire to be a part of something that’s uniquely New Orleans and, traditionally, the older marching groups and parade krewes were always mysterious as to how you could join them. With the influx of new residents to the city over the last five or so years, people are eager to join or start some sort of social group to capture that feeling for themselves. It’s definitely something I have mixed emotions about – being in a group myself and not wanting to lessen the significance of the original marching groups. It’s also really nice to continue a tradition of inclusivity that New Orleans is known for.

Lori: What does Roux La La mean to you? Why do you do it?

Alexis: I have some very dear friends that I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for Roux La La, so that’s definitely a wonderful aspect of being in the group. It also lets me tap into and fully realize my creativity. No, I’m not a professional performer, nor do I expect to ever be paid to be one! But I love to perform and design costumes, make up dances and generally be silly, so Roux La La lets me do that with a bunch of people who want to do it too.

Lori: What do you love about living in New Orleans?

Alexis: It’s walking out on my porch or down the street and having this paradoxical feeling of being in the middle of a thriving metropolitan area, but knowing all my neighbors too. It’s a series of serendipitous and sometimes chaotic meetings of the same people and characters over time, that gives me a strong sense of community and place, which I don’t think you would get in other metropolitan areas. Sometimes it’s exhausting and challenging, but it’s definitely my home.