SOA dance can serve as a great start for students. Many of our graduates go on to success in the dance world…and success in life. Below is a letter from a recent graduate about how SOA dance helped her:

Hello Ms. Cline and Ms. Tillotson!

This is Emily Dail and I just finished my first year off in college at Marymount Manhattan in the big NYC! NYC has opened my eyes to so much and has allowed for the most incredible opportunities! I take ballet and modern classes everyday and I love every second of it! This year has been more than a dream come true and I have learned and grown more than I could have ever imagined! I wanted to reach out and say a big thank you for all you guys and the school do! Being exposed to so much from the classes at SOA were truly beneficial, and all of the experiences and lessons learned have stuck with me for a lifetime! Hoping you all had a great school year this year, and wishing you guys the best summer ever!

Thank you so much again,  Emily Dail

Below are a few of our successful alumni. If you have a story to add email it to art.soadance@gmail.com or fill out our questionairre.

Ashley Green: I just finished my Sophomore year at Point Park University, next I will be going to Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive! Then I will headed back to Point Park for my Junior year! For the future I hope to graduate joining a dance company and live the dream!

Kedrick Paisley: I’m currently working at Disney World in entertainment. I get to be apart of the fun magic to include the Festival of Fantasy Parade, Main Street Trolley Show, and the Festival of the Lion King. I’ve also gotten to be a part of the Halloween and Christmas parades, a few special events and filmings!

Mackenzie Glasgow: I graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City with a major in dance, but also a focus on vocal and theatre training as well. Over the summer I attended The Radio City Rockette Summer Intensive. I’m currently performing and dancing at Walt Disney World and will be in the upcoming Halloween and Christmas shows/parades too. Also, I have been in 2 episodes of the HBO hit show, Vice Principals.

Kenna Sommer: 2011 SOA Dance Graduate, graduate from Columbia College SC as Dance Major in Choreography and Performing, Studio Ownership and Dance Theroy.  I BRANCH OUT in 2017 and focus my studies on Ballroom Dancing. However, I currently am the Dance Coordinator for Stretch-N-Grow.

CJ Anderson: Graduated from Columbia College with majors in Dance Education and Communication Studies, going on to get her Master of Fine Arts in Dance at Texas Woman’s University, with focuses in pedagogy and choreography. She has performed with the Columbia College Dance Company, Yuhas and Dancers, and has also taught. “I’m so extremely thankful for the tremendous education I received at SOA! Miss y’all lots!”

Miguel Robinson: Danced in LA for 10 years with such performers as Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J Blige & Diddy. After teaching dance in the Charleston area, he recently went back on tour.

Emily Hart-Lopez: Emily attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (B.F.A in Dance with an Contemporary Concentration), then moved to NYC where she is a professional performing artist and dance/fitness instructor there. Professional credits include Gaspard & Dancers, Reaction Dance Company, Cirque du Nuit, and Gotham Dance Theater. She freelances in commercial work for music videos, commercials, T.V, and film, working for artists like Ozzie Valencia, Muliano, Baby Dayliner. She is currently in India as a volunteer for Artists Striving to End Poverty at the arts camp for the Shanti Bhaven school, featured in the Netflix documentary “Daughters of Destiny”. Emily is honored to be an SOA alumni with excellent faculty and staff, and had an amazing time working with this year’s department as a Guest Artist in Residence this past Spring.

Christina Slaton: Originally from Charleston, SC, Christina is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and is now based out of Brooklyn, NY. Professional credits include: Jill Eathorne Bahr’s “Peter Pan” and George Balanchine’s “Serenade” with Charleston Ballet Theatre. She’s performed regionally in “Anything Goes” and “42nd Street” with the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, internationally dancing on Holland America Line Cruises and most recently has traveled the country with Broadway’s 42nd Street National Tour.

Have an alumni success story? Please share it! Email to art.soadance@gmail.com