Alex Romero, born Alexander Bernard Quiroga in San Antonio, Texas, was the son of a Mexican general and politician. His family fled to the United States during the Mexican Revolution after his father and many brothers were killed. Raised in a family of performers, Alex initially had no formal dance training but learned tap by observing Black dancers in vaudeville acts. At fifteen, he joined his brothers’ Spanish dance troupe, adopting the stage name Romero, and toured extensively across the U.S. and Europe.