Meet our passionate teaching artists at SODE! With years of experience in performing arts, they inspire, guide, and nurture talent, creating a supportive environment for students to grow and shine on stage. Their expertise is the heart of our creative community!

MEET OUR TEACHING ARTISTS

  • Ms. Sophie -Choreographer and Dance

    With over 25 years of experience as a dance and performing arts educator, Ms Sophie has dedicated her career to inspiring and nurturing young talent. For more than 15 years, she has created innovative dance curricula for both private and public schools, helping students explore their creativity and develop their skills.  

    In addition to her educational contributions, Ms Sophie has made her mark in the entertainment industry, showcasing her choreography in notable productions such as So You Think You Can Dance, New Girl, and Bless the Harts, (FOX).  Her artistic vision also shines through in her work as a choreographer for the music videos of She & Him, where she combines her passion for dance with a deep understanding of storytelling.  

    Ms Sophie’s commitment to the performing arts continues to impact the lives of countless students and artists alike, fostering a vibrant community of creativity and expression. She is the artistic director of SOPHIE OLSON DANCE EXPLOSION

  • Alan is a Los Angeles-based drum circle facilitator, teaching artist, and education consultant. With a Masters in Education and over ten years with SODE, Alan leads immersive programs in corporate, school, and therapeutic settings. His work inspires teamwork and personal growth, helping individuals and groups find their best "in-the-moment" selves. He also is an accomplished potter and art teacher. 

  • Amberlee moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to pursue her dream of being an actor. She graduated from AMDA with her BFA in Acting in 2019. Since graduating, she has worked as an after-school theater and improv teacher and tutor all over LA. She is a member of SkyPilot theatre company and is currently the Chair of the Artistic Management Committee at Theatre of NOTE. Amberlee also works as a children's performer, doing assemblies for elementary-age students. She is celebrating year 2 with SODE!

  • Ben is a full-time professional magician and when he’s not working with SODE Performing Arts he travels the world performing on luxury cruise ships, for high-end gatherings and special events. Ben graduated with a degree in Theater Education at Marymount Manhattan College and holds K-12 certifications in CA, NY & FL public schools. He also served for 2 years on the Admin Team of the International School of Los Angeles before he realized it was way more fun to perform and teach magic for a living!

    Before moving to Los Angeles, Ben taught magic at nearly every top independent school in Manhattan including Brearly, Chapin, Dalton, Spence, Speyer, Columbia Grammar and more. In addition to teaching at schools Ben is a series regular in the Science Channel’s Strange Evidence as an expert Magician, was the private magic teacher for teenage Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and also was an annual guest lecturer at Princeton University in Magic & Showmanship.

     Innately a social art, Ben doesn’t just teach tricks; Through magic, he gets children of all ages excited to learn public speaking skills, motor skills and even math, all cleverly hidden into magical lesson plans that always leave children ecstatic to share what they just learned with others! 

  • Carly is an actress and artist based in Los Angeles. From Phoenix, AZ Carly has always been a West Coast girl- except for the summer she spent studying Directing at Yale. Although her main passion is Acting she loves to perform stand-up comedy when she can. Aside from being a passionate acting coach she also enjoys teaching pottery and art to students of all ages. She is a newcomer to SODE and is excited about starting this new adventure. 

  • Cassandra is a full-time magician who has wowed audiences at some of the most prestigious venues in the world. From the Magic Castle in Hollywood to appearances on Netflix and CBS, her performances have captivated countless audiences. She’s also graced the stages of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. But Cassandra’s magic isn’t confined to the spotlight—she’s just as passionate about teaching the craft. In Los Angeles, she’s shared her expertise by working side by side with SODE School of Performing Arts for three years and in New York City, she’s taught at top private schools, including Brearley, Chapin, Dalton, and Trinity.

    As a first generation Latin American she hopes to inspire the next generation. For her, magic is more than just tricks—it’s a way to ignite creativity, curiosity, and endless possibilities in the minds of children, all while providing important representation in the world of magic. 

  • Born and raised in Maine, his passion for the arts ignited early when his parents bought him a camera at 11 after noticing his creative drive to build sets in dollhouses. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he had the absolute joy of working on indie animation projects when he moved to Los Angeles. It was here that his mentors introduced him to stop-motion, sparking a deep love for the craft and turning him into a stop-motion nerd. 

    His time in his high school band helped him appreciate ensemble work, and after studying guitar and piano in high school, he realized that music was one of his life’s passions. Although becoming a professional musician didn’t work out, he found a way to incorporate music into his animation work. Along the way, he discovered a love for education, a path he's been pursuing for seven years. Now in his third year with SODE, he continues to inspire students by nurturing their creativity and helping them surprise themselves with what they can achieve.

  • Evan started learning classical piano at age 6, and continued until age 13 when he pivoted to learning the guitar and ukulele. Since then, he has continued on all of three instruments, as both a songwriter and as a performer. While getting a Bachelor’s at the University of Texas, Evan performed in rock bands all around Austin, even getting to play several years at the legendary SXSW music festival. Evan also acts in TV and film, and has gotten to play guitar and sing on-screen in Hawaii Five-0 and the holiday movie A Country Christmas Album. Evan began teaching piano, guitar, and ukulele since 2015. He’s celebrating his third year as a teaching artist with SODE, and he continues finding great joy in helping others along their musical paths!

  • Gina holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the Peck School of the Arts at UW-Milwaukee. She began her dance training at age 5, focusing on ballet and tap before expanding into hip-hop and modern dance. As a competitive dancer, she led her high school team as dance captain to a 2nd place finish at nationals. For the past three years, she has been a Teaching Artist at SODE School of Performing Arts, where she inspires young students in various dance styles including Yoga and voice. Outside of SODE, Gina is an active performer in the Los Angeles arts scene, showcasing her talents as a dancer, actor, and hula hoop artist. She specializes in LED and fire hoop performances and regularly performs across Southern California.

  • Ian  is a youth arts educator and artist based in Altadena, inspired by nature and the living world around him. Specializing in painting and drawing, Ian also mentors at Forest School in the Los Angeles National Forest. New to SODE this year, he’s excited to engage K-5 students in mural work, t-shirt design, and clay projects, fostering creativity and exploration.

  • Jacob is a versatile dancer and educator with over a decade of experience in performance and teaching. His training spans Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and more, setting a strong foundation for his artistic expression. He specializes in Bollywood dance and Salsa. Jacob received a BFA in Dance from Saint Mary’s College of California through the LEAP Program.

    His work includes performing and choreographing for top artists, teaching nationwide, and being a key member of the creative team for Bollywood Beats at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

    Jacob has been dancing for SOPHIE OLSON DANCE EXPLOSION for over 10 years and is celebrating 4 years as a teaching artist with SODE

  • Ms. Kawai has been a professional dancer for over 20 years and is celebrating her second year as a Teaching Artist at SODE. She’s trained in a wide range of styles, including Hip-Hop, Lyrical, Ballet, Jazz Funk, Modern, and Tap, as well as cultural dances like Hula, Tahitian, Māori, West African, and Bharatanatyam. Kawai has performed at Six Flags, Knotts Berry Farm, and continues to perform at Disneyland. While originally studying child education in college, dance became her primary focus, and she’s found joy in combining her love for dance with her passion for teaching children.

  • Kelsey has been teaching children to sing, dance, and play piano for over 15 years.  Kelsey received a B.A. in Theatre with a double minor in Music and Dance from Muhlenberg College. She also studied dance abroad at Accademia dell’Artein Tuscany, Italy.  Kelsey has music directed, choreographed, and stage managed over 40 shows in educational and professional theater settings.  She is honored to continue sharing her passion for musical theatre with the next generation of young performers and is celebrating year 7 with SODE! 

  • Kristi is excited to be celebrating her third year with SODE! In 2019, Kristi graduated from AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts with a BFA in Dance Theatre, where she has had the pleasure to work with a variety of LA’s and NY’s professional choreographers. Favorite  redits: Mamma Mia! as Dance Captain in the Ensemble with 5 Star Theatricals. Kristi has equal passion for performing as she does for teaching young dancers in their development in creativity, self expression, and confidence! She is grateful to be part of the SODE family and the opportunity to share her passion with the new generation of young artists. She’s been dancing for SOPHIE OLSON DANCE EXPLOSION since 2020. 

  • Leilani was born in Huntington Beach, California, trained in SCATS Gymnastics for eight years before transitioning to modern dance in college. She performed at Pasadena City College, Citrus College, and Mt. San Antonio College, where she helped establish both a Commercial Arts Dance program and a dance teacher credentialing program. Leilani became the first graduate of both non-state and state-approved programs.

    She went on to teach various dance styles, including modern, tap, ballet, jazz, and hip-hop, at Stage 17, the La Canada YMCA, and Plaza Productions One. In 2019, she performed with the Martha Graham Dance Company at Cal State Northridge.

    Since September 2023, she has been teaching dance with SODE at schools across LA County.

  • Ms Liz (Elizabeth)  is a Professional Dancer, Aerialist, Acrobat, Actress and Instructor based in Los Angeles. Elizabeth has trained at facilities such as High School for the Performing Visual Arts, London Studio Center and graduated with an AA from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Her array of skills have been showcased with companies including Los Angeles Choreographers and Dancers, Zerogravity, The Eclipse Show, Elite Entertainment Global, Edge of the World Entertainment, and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Elizabeth is an instructor of dance and acrobatics at various local studios and gyms in Los Angeles. Ms Liz is celebrating her third year with SODE!

  • Ms. Marlena-Dance

    Marlena is a Renaissance Woman—she plays guitar, piano, and sings; she is a model and actress; she is a dancer, specializing in ballet, tango, salsa, musical theater, and lyrical; and she trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. After graduating UCLA’s musical theater program in 2019, Marlena pursued a career in mental health. Over the last five years, she has supported domestic violence survivors, foster youth, eating disorder patients, and substance abuse clients. She is also a certified end-of-life doula. Marlena incorporates the arts in her therapeutic work, and still continues her work in the mental health field part-time. Marlena believes in the power of art to heal the body, mind, and soul, and she could not be happier to join the SODE team as a teaching artist.

  • Melissa a dynamic writer, actor, director, and teaching artist who brings her extensive experience in acting and improv to the table. She has directed over a dozen musicals and children's plays for Theatre 360, 24th Street Theatre, SODE School of Performing Arts and the LAUSD Conservatory of Fine Arts. Melissa also produces and performs with Little Fish Theatre, Towne Street Theatre, and writes original immersive theater performed locally. She has been with SODE since 2015! Favorite musical: Once on This Island

  • An accomplished performer and teacher, Micah received his Doctor of Musical Arts from the USC Thornton School of Music in 2015. He has received many national and international awards as a soloist and chamber musician, and currently holds several positions as a collaborative pianist. Some performance highlights include touring with Broadway and appearing on screen as an instrumentalist in television/movies for Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, and Amazon TV. 

    Dr. Micah believes that in a flexible approach to teaching, and adapts his teaching to fit the individual student’s needs/goals. He teaches a wide variety of students from beginners to college performance majors, and has students from a wide array of backgrounds. He’s celebrating his third year as a teaching artist with SODE.

  • Ms. Nonna has been a dedicated piano teacher at SODE School of Performing Arts for the past three years, sharing her lifelong passion for music. She started playing piano at five, and by twelve, she was performing concertos by Beethoven and Mozart with a local symphonic orchestra. After studying at a musical college and state university, in Russia, Ms. Nonna pursued a career as a professional pianist and educator and has been working professionally for over 30 years.

    At SODE, she emphasizes that music is about joy and emotional connection, not just technique. Believing that imagination and curiosity lead to true mastery. 

  • Vanessa is a passionate vocal coach/arranger and choir director who ran her own voice studio for several years. Her students went on to book national tours, Broadway, and win scholarships to musical theater programs.  While getting her master's in music therapy from NYU Steinhardt, Vanessa served as a music director at TADA! and her private students consistently rated highly at NYSSMA. She studied musical theater songwriting with Joseph Church at NYU, Daniel Zaitchik through Roundabout Theatre Co., and attended the Music Director Intensive at Goodspeed Musicals. She has served on the music team at several musicals in the Los Angeles area including The Lonely Few at The Geffen. Currently, Vanessa is the choir conductor for the Voice III Choir at The LAUSD Performing Arts Conservatory and music director for Ink and Paint which was included in the SheLA Festival. While she has loved bringing other writer's music to life, she is currently working on her own projects through New Musicals Inc. She’s excited to be celebrating her 3rd year as a teaching artist with SODE!