Dance | Sophie Wellington | Beginning | Period 1 | Week 3 (July 21-26, 2024)
In class we’ll focus on learning basic flatfooting steps, strengthening our sense of rhythm, and finding creativity within simplicity and repetition.
No experience necessary. Please bring a pair of hard soled shoes (leather, hard plastic, etc.) that don’t grip the floor. Check out thrift stores for affordable options, test em out before buying them for sound and grip – and comfort of course!
About the Instructor
Sophie is a Boston-based musician and percussive dancer. She was raised in Staunton VA by old time musician and dance caller Bill Wellington, and pianist Lynne Mackey. From an early age, she was enthusiastic about music and dance. Communities and gatherings such as festivals, camps, and the occasional picking house party all helped to shape and nurture this love for music and movement, inspiring her to pursue it professionally.
She studied jazz voice and old time fiddle at Berklee College of Music. After graduating in 2021, she released her debut solo record Roving Jewel: a collection of fiddle tunes, dancing duets, and vocal jazz standards. This project highlights her eclectic musical background through the common thread of improvisation and creative intuition.
Alongside her love for performing, Sophie is an experienced and dedicated teacher. She brings an alternative and embodied approach to teaching, highlighting the intricacies of generating music and movement. This is her third summer on staff at Augusta Old Time Week and her second summer as an instructor. She has also taught advanced fiddle at the Blue Ridge Old Time Music Gathering at Mars Hill, improvisational percussive dance at Earful of Fiddle, and old time guitar back up at Augusta’s October Old Time Retreat in Cass, WV.