I have known Sophia for several years. I have taken many private lessons from her and have attended many group classes as well.
She definitely makes learning how to dance fun and exciting. Her positive and encouraging and supportive attitude along with her ability to cater the lessons to my individual needs was amazing. She constantly motivated and inspired me to do better and to become better and to always bring my A game to the lessons.
Technically, she always started with the basic steps. But as the lessons progressed, she shifted her focus to the nuances of dancing that would allow me and other students to progress from just knowing the steps to actually dancing the dance. These included things like leading/following, shifting your weight, posture and frame, eye contact, and specific hand/body movements. Being able to execute the perfect basic was far better, and in my opinion far more impressive, than learning a hundred different patterns and executing them poorly.
Beyond her technical expertise, she focused on the mental and emotional aspects of dancing, especially with establishing a connection with your partner. Adding all of these pieces together allowed me the opportunity to eventually perform with Sophia as well as with a Salsa dance team. This also provided me the chance to dance in a competition with Sophia as my partner.
For many people, myself included, dancing is not easy. But I have seen Sophia teach all levels of students, and every student I spoke with loved her. She is not only a great instructor, but she is a great person. She is funny, passionate, easy to be with, has a great work ethic, is fully committed to her students, and has a really really big heart. Learning how to dance was one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done, and I have to thank Sophia for making the journey and the experience something I will always remember.