SOPHIE MONAT - Key Persons
Alyson Mattoon is originally from Sedona, Arizona. She attended the Virginia School of the Arts, where she studied ballet, jazz, modern dance, theater, and pilates with world-renowned instructors. Upon graduating from VSA with honors, Alyson began her professional career with the State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara in 2000, where she performed as a principal dancer for ten years. While dancing professionally, Alyson also received her pilates certification through Body Arts and Science International. In addition to dancing with Monat Dance and Clairobscur Dance Company in Los Angeles, Alyson works as a pilates instructor and is currently enrolled in the LEAP (Liberal Education for Arts Professionals) program.
Amanda Copple grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado studying various forms of dance at Westin Arts Academy, Artistic Fusion, Motion Underground, and Canyon Concert Ballet. She began her professional career in 2008 performing for Carousel Dinner Theatre in the musicals Carousel and Cats. Earlier this year Amanda explored the dance culture in Europe returning to California where she received her certification to teach yoga at the 200 hour level. In addition to dancing with Monat Dance, she has recently performed with BodyTraffic dance company of Los Angeles dancing for Barak Marshall. Amanda will graduate from the Alonzo King LINES BFA Dance program in the spring of 2012. When not dancing she likes to travel, play the guitar, and sew.
Andrew Palomares began his dance career in 2002 with a Mexican folk dance group. In 2010, Andrew graduated from the CSULB Dance Program with a B.A. in Dance and he continues to perform professionally with both contemporary dance and Mexican folk dance companies. He has attended prestigious dance workshops such as the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance Summer Intensive, where he trained with Summer Lee Rhatigan, Alex Ketley, Christian Burns, Chiharu Shibata, and Batsheva company dancer Bobbi Smith. Andrew has had the opportunity to work with many talented choreographers, including Michele Jenkins, Sophie Monat, Keith Johnson, Dorcas Román and Lorin Johnson.
Ashley Frances Hoffman began her dance training at the age of 11 at the School of the Salt Creek Ballet near Chicago. She continued her studies at the Virginia School of the Arts and Indiana University. In 2005, Hoffman was invited to perform in Switzerland with Cinevox Theatre, and continued to work with various contemporary choreographers until 2007. Since returning to the U.S., she has danced with the Los Angeles Ballet and appeared as a guest artist with several regional ballet companies, dancing international repertoire. Ashley was a 2008 Horton Award nominee for Outstanding Achievement in Performance - Small Ensemble - for her work with Francisco Martinez Dance Theater. Currently, as well as performing with Monat Dance, Ashley is a founding member of Luminario Ballet where she has worked with Doriana Sanchez, Evelyn Cisneros, John Pennington and Alexander Magno.
Naomi King was born and raised on the island of New Caledonia in the South Pacific where she was exposed to many different forms of dance. She began her formal dance training at Center Stage Dance Academy in Long Beach, CA and has trained extensively in both classical and contemporary dance forms including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and improvisation. She has performed in renowned works such as Twyla Tharp's Noir, Alonzo King's Rite of Spring, and Balanchine's Serenade. Naomi received her B.A. in Dance from the California State University, Long Beach, where she was the recipient of the Dramatic Allied Arts Guild and the Betty DuPont scholarships. Naomi is currently working with Monat Dance and Dorcas Roman Dance Theatre, and has been a teacher and choreographer for Center Stage Dance Academy since 2003.