Sophia first discovered the joy of dance with ballet classes in 1995, while attending college. Since then, she has studied ballet, modern, belly dance, and Jewish dance. Sophia has been studying Middle Eastern belly dance since the year 2000. She has danced primarily with Dayton dancers/instructors Ray-Anne and Deniz. She has also attended workshops with many specialty instructors including Karim Nagi Muhammed (Debka), Aziza (Orientale), Yousry Sharif (choreography), Sonia (Polynesian), and Amel Tafsout (Sufi/Trans). Sophia extends her cultural dance experience with Jewish dance studies including Yemenite, Sephardic, and Israeli folk dance. 

Sophia has been a member of Egyptian Breeze Dance Troupe since 2002. She regularly performs with Egyptian at annual festivals and venues around the Dayton and Yellow Springs areas. She loves to see the joy that beautiful music & dance bring to the audiences. Sophia is also a solo performer and enjoys dancing at special events and private parties. She has over 10 years of teaching experience and is currently teaching belly dance in Springfield, WPAFB, and Beavercreek, Ohio.

Through dance, Sophia wishes to promote health, happiness, and cultural diversity. For more information on performances, party classes (belly dance or Israeli folk dance), or weekly classes offered by Sophia email sophia@shimmycats.com or visit the website at www.shimmycats.com.