Soo Park
Artistic Director
Soo started her formal training at the renowned private institute, SUNHWA Art School in Korea, which is known for accepting high achieving students that pass a rigorous entrance exam. Soo was taught and trained intensively on the principles of the Russian Vaganova methodology. As a young dancer, Soo was selected by the Universal Ballet Company for role of ‘Clara’ in The Nutcracker and traveled with the company to perform around Korea. In 1994, Soo came to the U.S. and had the privilege of being trained by Yelena Vinogradova, the Artistic Director at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C., where she continued her training. Soo studied at KNUA, Korea National University of Art, where she majored in dance choreography. She trained in ballet, modern, contemporary, and Korean dance. She expanded her ballet career as one of the KNUA ballet members and performed with them.
Upon arriving to the U.S. in 2002, Soo entered the University of California, Berkeley, and received her B.A. in Environmental Economics and Dance. Soo’s post university experience included performing at the SF Ethnic Dance Festival and teaching Korean dance at Claire Lilienthal School in SF. Her passion for ballet and teaching inspired her to establish her own dance studio, SOO DANCE COMPANY & ACADEMY, in 2010.
In 2015 the studio relocated to a larger, more modern 5,000 square ft custom dance facility located in Blackhawk Plaza in Danville. In 2018, Soo Dance Academy opened a second location in San Ramon.
SDCA has presented full length productions of The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppelia, and Don Quixote. In just a few short years, SDCA has earned a strong reputation in the Bay Area and is proud to have placed many of its students into the renowned Kirov Academy, Stanford University, and NYU: Tisch School of the Arts.
The SDCA Competition team consistently places in the Overall Finalist Top 3 at The International Dance Challenge, Spotlight National Dance Cup, EnerGy National, StarBound National, California Dance Classics, Showbiz, 24 Seven/Nuvo , Hollywood Vibe competition and convention, Rainbow, Revolution Talent and YAGP competitions.
Soo has achieved remarkable success at the Spotlight National Dance Cup, receiving the prestigious “Director Award” consecutively in 2019 and 2020. In 2024, Soo’s outstanding performance and dedication were further recognized with the “Triple Crown & Studio Achievement” award. These accolades reflect Soo’s exceptional talent and commitment to excellence in dance. She also became a certified Progressing Ballet Technique in Junior, Senior, and Advanced programs instructor in 2018 and ABT- certificated instructor in 2021.
Rebecca Trim
Ballet Instructor
Miss Rebecca Rhodes was born in Libertyville, Illinois, and trained at Dance Academy of Libertyville and Milwaukee Ballet School. She completed her training at the San Francisco Ballet School. She was named apprentice in 2008 and promoted to the San Francisco Ballet Company corps de ballet in 2009. She has performed a wide variety of works during her time with the company and originated many roles. After giving birth to her daughter, Rhodes decided to leave the ballet company and turned to teaching in San Francisco Ballet School. Rhodes now resides in the Bay Area with her husband and two young children.
Elena
Ballet Instructor
Elena’s love for dancing started at age of 9 when she started studying ballet, character dance and jazz. By the age of 18 she graduated from one of the most prestigious dance academies in the world (Moscow Bolshoi Ballet Academy). After her graduation she moved to the USA with her family and continued her career as a world class adagio performer, where her professional edge required her to master several disciplines simultaneously: dance, acrobatics and the art of illusion. She appeared on television shows, competitions and performed in more than 40 countries.
Elena is very excited to share her knowledge and love for the art of dancing with the next generation of dancers. Elena and her husband Pasha are professional entertainers called Pasha and Aliona. Their greatest achievement, AGT(America Got Talent) had broadcasted nation-wide of their amazing choreography.
Mimi Rana
Competition Team Director
Mimi’s love of dance started at the young age of 5. She has since 15 years studio trained in the disciplines of Jazz, Tap, Modern, Lyrical, Ballet, Acro, and Hip Hop built her foundation in dance at Joanne Brown Dance Studio and Yoko’s Dance Academy. Mimi began competing at the age of ten has won numerous National Dance awards, invitations to Scholarship Workshop: Alvin Alley and Joffrey Ballet and invited to several Dance Competition as being assistant choreography as a young age. As an adult, Mimi continued dancing in college with the Dance Department at Ohlone College during that time she was traveling to Los Angeles and had trained in Intensive Dance Program: AMADA for three years while in college. After graduating from Ohlone College with an Associate Degree in Marketing and Dance. Also graduated California State University, East Bay, with a Major Early Childhood Development Minor in Dance. Teaching and working in the child care industry (Teacher, Coordinator, and Preschool Director) for 10 years between teaching dance classes at dance studios in the south bay and east bay starting 2008 as a side passion. Her professional credits includes Los Angeles Clippers (2008), Semi pro Dance Team Bomshells Girls and Liberty Belles, Half time Dance Team with Santa Cruz Warriors, and Mission in the Mix w in South Bay area for 7 years.. Has experience and taught and created Preschools Dance Program almost 10 years around the Bay Area, and young adults for 8 years. Mimi is currently coaching Los Gatos Dance Team and also freelancing with other pre-professional dance teams in the Bay Area.
LaTonya
Hiphop/Jazz Instructor
La Tonya Watts (Director/Choreographer): LaTonya has worked with several famous directors and choreographers to pursue her passion. She has directed and choreographed many theatrical performances for some of the Bay Area’s popular theatrical companies. Her work includes: Taming of the Shrew; Romeo & Juliet; The Wiz; Grease; Pippin; Oedipus; Cinderella; Macbeth; Dreamgirls; Blackballin; Once Upon This Island, Chicago (2011 SFBATCC and Shellie Awards nominee for Best Choreographer); West Side Story; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Hairspray; Life Could be a Dream; 9 to 5; Rent; Hedwig and the Angry Inch; The Robber Bridegroom; Night of January 16th; A Trip Down Broadway (2016 Shellie Award winner for Best Choreographer); Aladdin; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Arsenic and Old Lace; Urinetown, the Musical; Rumors; You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; Moon Over Buffalo (2018 Shellie Award winner for Best Director); The 1940s Radio Hour; Lend Me a Tenor; Once Upon a Mattress; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Zombie Prom; The Savannah Sipping Society, School House Rock, jr., Young Frankenstein, Freaky Friday, A Raisin in the Sun, Fences, Dreamgirls, Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits and Annie Jr., The Mousetrap, Working, the Musical, Lion King Jr. and Frozen Jr. She was a recipient of the 2018 Women of Distinction Award from the Soroptimist International Organization. In 2022, she was inducted into the Pittsburg California Entertainment and Arts Hall of Fame and for BroadwayWorld San Francisco 2022 Regional Awards she won Best Director of a Play Fences and Best Play Fences.
Love
Hiphop/Jazz Instructor
Miss Love started dancing at 9 years old. She started training in ballet and a few months after, she played the role of the stepmother of Cinderella for their recital amongst skilled ballerinas. That ballet class sparked the love she has for dance which also led her to pursue dance as a career being a performer and an instructor. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Science, her thesis was focused on the importance of anaerobic training in power output on competitive dancers. With this she was able to create a training program targeted to build and improve dance skills and agility helping all skill levels which she uses till this day. Miss Love has extensive experience teaching kids, youth and adult Jazz and Hip Hop. She believes in empowering her students by focusing on building discipline and foundation.
Isabella Marines
Acro/Contemporary/Jazz /Tap/Ballet Instructor
Ms. Isa is a California native who performed in the dance industry with studio and theatre companies. They trained in various styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre, and acrobatics. Beginning when they were 12, they closely studied acrobatic safety and techniques and were mentored by Acrobatic Arts professionals. Since they were 16, Isa has choreographed in California and the Maryland-Virginia area for theatre productions, recreational dance, and competition dance routines. In their time choreographing for competition, multiple pieces have placed in the Top 10, Top 5, and Top 3 at regional and national competitions.
Macy Yu
Hiphop/Contemporary/Jazz/Tap Instructor
Macy Yu originally born and raised in Monterey, California, found a love for dance as a pre-teen and has been dancing ever since. She has trained under the instruction of Tia Brown-Rosenbluem, Laura Lobo, Isaiah Bindel, Kiera Hanson, Ali Pfleger and many more. Macy has also competed at a variety of competitions and conventions in contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop.
She enjoys working with dancers that want to find confidence in themselves, their movements, and bodies. Being able to teach young dancers the knowledge that she has learned from various choreographers and teachers through her training is something she strives for within her classes.
Macy has currently graduated from her undergrad at Saint Mary’s College of California with a BA in Dance and a Minor in Education. She is now continuing her dance and teaching journey at Saint Mary’s in the MFA in Dance program.
