Our Story....
Sophie Dance EST. 2007
Sophie Dance opened on the corner of La Brea and 3rd in 2007 as a one woman show with Miss Sophie.
Over the last fifteen years Sophie Dance has expanded to three locations curating the ultimate recreational dance experience for children. Sophie Dance is a place for children to feel great about themselves, challenge themselves, and have fun in a safe and nurturing environment.
Our studio offers ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop classes to children ages 18 months to 18 years. Our sister studio, Level Up, offers acrobatics, aerial and Competition Dance for children ages 6 and up. Sophie Dance On Demand is our online program for children ages 2-6 who are looking to dance from home.
Our studios employ 25 staff members who come from a variety of dance backgrounds. Our staff is a diverse representation of our students and includes men and women of color as well as people who identify as LGBTQ. We are a team of artists and teachers with the commonality of a mindfulness approach to children and Come As You Are mentality.
Sophie Dance and Level Up offer summer programming that includes week-long summer camps as well as a Main Season of classes that run from September through May and culminate in a year end recital.
Miss Sophie, the owner of Sophie Dance 3rd Street, Sophie Dance West and Level Up Dance Academy is also a mother to three daughters, Rory, Coraline and Blaise. She lives in Burbank with her husband, Neil Mahoney, owner of 3PL company, Shipping Butler. When not running their businesses or traveling with their children Sophie and Neil look for ways to give back to the Los Angeles community. They are proud supporters of GLSEN, Chrysalis, and Alexandria House.
Miss Braelinn is a co-owner of the Sophie Dance West location. She is excited to continue growing with Sophie, Kat, and all of our teachers and families to create the most well-balanced studio that allows kids to be expressive, intentional, learn life lessons, all while having fun on the dance floor. She recently got certified in Reiki 1 and will be continuing her spiritually led personal and professional healing journey.
Miss Kat is the newest co-owner of Sophie Dance West and the creative director of our new theatre program, Westside Players. She feels very blessed to be able to return to her roots in musical theatre and to inspire passion for the theatre arts in our young dancers! She lives in Santa Monica with her Yorkie mix, Jackson, and her collection of almost 1000 books!