DANCE FACULTY
SOCAPA offers small classes and an accomplished teaching staff comprised of industry professionals with recent and ongoing experience as performers, educators and choreographers. Drawn from some of the top universities and dance programs, including Alvin Ailey, Broadway Dance Center, NYU and The Boston Ballet School, and having taught and performed all over the world, the instructors at SOCAPA guide the students through the Program with delicacy, energy and skill.
| Aushi Oskarsdottir (Contemporary & Street Jazz , NYC, LA, VT): Originally from Reykjavik, Iceland, and a graduate of UC Berkeley, Aushi started her professional dance career at the age of 15 with video and commercial work, and has gone on to teach jazz, hip hop and dance for stage at San Francisco Dance Center, Stanford University, Bally’s, Dance Fusion, and California Theatre Arts, to name a few. Aushi studied and performed at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, as well as Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway, and also worked as a stylist for Nautica Jeans, a producer for Q-Tip’s interview show, “Artist to Artist,” and a managing editor for VivianLives.com. In addition to teaching, Aushi continues to pursue her professional career. She performs and travels with Ronnie Reddick’s City Slam and La Femme Panache, and has worked with Santana, Deborah Cox, MC Hammer, Macy’s, Bebe, Bloomingdale’s, Apple Computer, E*Trade, Microsoft, and Bill Graham Presents, among others. |
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| Maiysha Cade (Street Jazz & Hip-Hop, NYC, VT): Originally from Boston, Maiy is a dance teacher and choreographer with various New York youth organizations such as Wingspan Arts and the Possibility Projext. She is a professional dancer represented by the BLOC Dance Agency, and has performed commercially for NIKE, MTV, LG Electronics, and Ryan Leslie. For several years Maiy was a dancer for Radio Disney Boston and a dancer for the NBAs Boston Celtics. Maiysha attended The Boston Ballet School for Performing Arts, and was as a member of the hip-hop dance company, Phunk Phenomenon. Maiy joined SOCAPA Dance in 2009. |
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| Vigdis Hentze Olsen (Contemporary Jazz & Hip-Hop, NYC): Vigdis performs and choreographs internationally and recently won the original Danish "So You Think You Can Dance" competition. With formal training at the Ballet Academy in Gothenburg, Stepz in Copenhagen, and Cunningham Studio and William Esper Studio in New York, Vigdis' technical skill brings her to the top in the industry. Her current and varied work in the fields of theater, television/film, commercial/print, and industrial, as well as producing her own choreography, informs her unique movement and cutting edge teaching. |
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| John Wellington-Simon (Hip-Hop & Musical Theater, NYC): John has worked as a performer for 10 years. He graduated in 2006 from Tisch School of the Arts. After NYU, he danced professionally for BLADE affiliated with the Hip- Hop Dance Conservatory. He then landed a role on Broadway at Spotlight Live. There he performed with numerous celebrities including, Harvey Weinstien, Kelly Rippa, and Debbie Gibson. Along the way John has taught at Alvin Ailey Camp and the Children Aids Society. John Wellington-Simon is a strong believer that the role of an artist is to inform and inspire the public. |
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| Jamilia Hall (Hip-Hop & African, NYC & LA): JAM started her dance career at The Edwin Holland School of Dance in Miami, Fl. She graduated Salutatorian of the class of 2004 with a BFA in dance studies from Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus. She now teaches Hip-Hop and African Dance and dances professionally in New York City. Her credits include Mase and Friends "Welcome Back" concert, recording artist Safire and recording artist Tan Tan, Vissi Dance Theater, and The Underground Dance Project, just to name a few. She has also appeared in videos of artists including Miss Angelina, Joan Jett, J'zebehl and Elephant Man and toured the UK and USA with DecaDance Theatre. |
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| Debra Emerson Boyd (Contemporary & Street Jazz, NYC & LA): Deb is the founder and director of the Dance Fusion Company in San Francisco. She started her professional career at the age of twelve performing at the worlds fair in Australia and in Fiji. Since then she has danced and/or choreographed for the Golden State Warrior Girls, the San Francisco 49er Gold Rush, the Orlando Magic Girls, the Sacramento Kings Fast Break, USC, UCLA, UC Davis and BYU. She is on the jazz staff with of the United Spirit Association (USA) and has participated in a number of industry and corporate venues such as Adidas, Microsoft, Reebok, E-Trade, Bloomingdale's, FOX, and MTV. |
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| Nick Long (Hip-Hop & Street Jazz, LA): Nick got his start dancing at Arizona State University with the Hip-Hop Coalition under the direction of Leslie Scott (LADF, EDGE, Millennium. After dancing only a year and half, he began teaching at local Phoenix studios and soon after became artistic director of the ASU Hip-Hop Coalition. He trained with notable teachers and choreographers such as Brian Friedman, Tabitha and Napoleon, Leslie Scott, Phlex, Matt Cady, Marty Kudelka, Melanie Benz. His teaching credits include Dance Masters Convention teacher, Loyola Marymount University, teaching nationally as well as internationally and Hollywood Dance Experience Convention, not to mention numerous studios over his teaching career. Some of his dance credits include Rihanna, IceBreaker Gum, MTV VMA, CBS Fashion Rocks, TV pilot "Cooking's a Drag, Intel, Wells Fargo, Rahzel-the Human Beatbox, DJ Perry Farrel. He's also done numerous award-winning choreography, Carnival: Choreographer's Ball, upcoming artist Mikal and WNBA Phoenix Mercury Hip-Hop Squad. |
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| Angela Crain (Hip-Hop & Street Jazz, VT): Angela Crain began teaching hip-hop dance at SOCAPA LA in 2007 and is excited for another summer of SOCAPA VT after finishing her degree in performance studies and sociology at NYU. Her dance career has led her from Louisiana to San Francisco, LA, Brazil and NYC where she began performing and teaching with Decadancetheatre, an all-female hip-hop dance company. Since 2002, Angela has toured throughout the US and Europe and has performed in programs such as NBA Allstars broadcast, commercials for Macy's and Nike, a Reebok industrial, music video for Sony music artist, as well as Jacob's Pillow dance festival. As a teaching artist, Ms. Crain has worked with children and adults from diverse backgrounds including community organizations, public schools, and private studios. She believes that dance has the pervasive capacity to break through social and cultural barriers and to promote mutual respect among artists. Her class integrates various forms of hip-hop movement into concert dance while engaging students both physically and intellectually to explore their own artistic expression. |
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| Dexter Carr Hip-Hop & Street Jazz, NYC): Originally from Miami, Dexter Carr began working professionally in New York City with world-renowned hip-hop choreographer, Luam Keflezgy. His first booking was a job dancing in Chris Browns "Kiss Kiss" Music Video which has led to working with other world-renowned choreographers such as Rhapsody James, Sheryl Murakami, Brian Thomas, Glenn Douglas Packard, Eric Jenkins, Jamie Jackson, Dana Foglia, Lajon Danztler, Jonte and others. Dexter has danced for artists Ashanti, Katy Perry, Matisse, Prince JJ, and Jonte. He has also done commercials and industrials with Discovery Channel, Caesars Hotel in Vegas, Sephora for Fashion Week, and Nike, to name a few. |
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| Ami Mattison (Contemporary & Lyrical Jazz, LA): Ami is currently in the LA based dance company CollidE, under the direction of choreographer Erica Michelle Sobol. In addition to SOCAPA, Ami teaches at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. Before moving to LA she taught for five years in New York City at the Broadway Dance Center, the Peridance Center and the PMT Dance Studio. Ami's choreography has been commissioned for recitals, festivals, and competitions in various styles including; lyrical, contemporary jazz, ballet, and pointe. |
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-Leah M., North Carolina