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Sophia Wilson
Studio owner, Sophia Wilson, has been passionate about dance since the age of three. Her love for the art form grew quickly, and by the age of fifteen, she was already teaching and choreographing while continuing to train and compete herself.
After graduating high school, Sophia attended the Theatre Arts Preparatory School in Las Vegas, where she was part of their prestigious professional dance training program. There, she trained under industry leaders such as Helene Philips, Dawn Bellamy, and Tony Coppola, and signed with Go 2 Talent Agency.
Over the next three years, Sophia’s career flourished. She performed alongside celebrities including Salt-N-Pepa and JoJo Siwa, and appeared in shows on the Las Vegas Strip. In the fall of 2019, she returned to her hometown of Mountain Home to give back to the community that first inspired her passion for dance and the arts.
In January of 2023, Sophia achieved a lifelong dream by becoming the owner of her own dance studio. She is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of dancers, offering them the highest quality training Arkansas has to offer while nurturing a deep love for the art of dance.
Alysa Anderson
Alysa Anderson is a creative soul with passions and training across numerous artistic disciplines. She currently serves as the Creative Director and Competition Dance Director at The Artistic Dance Company in Mountain Home, Arkansas.
Alysa has been immersed in the dance world for over twenty years, beginning her training at the age of four. She has received extensive training in modern, contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and musical theatre, and has experience both in competitive dance and at the collegiate level. Her teaching journey began early—working as an assistant instructor at age eleven and starting choreography at just fifteen. After years of working in the dance industry, Alysa decided to pursue higher education and graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with minors in Psychology and Health Science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Since then, she has taught and choreographed for studios, private schools, and organizations across Arkansas. Her choreography spans recreational, competitive, and collegiate dance and has received multiple high point, overall, and judge’s choice awards at both regional and national levels.
Her artistic vision extends beyond the stage—her self-directed dance film, A Bright, Sunny Day, was selected for the 2021 May Dance Film Fest with Rogue Dancer. Alysa is also an active member of the National Dance Education Organization, continually pursuing growth in her craft to provide dancers with a well-rounded and intentional education.
At the heart of Alysa’s work is her passion for inspiring others. She strives to instill a love of the arts in her students and believes in creativity, exploration, and intentionality as the foundation of her teaching and choreography.
Paula Hill
Paula has loved dance since the age of four and knew early on that she wanted to be a teacher. Nothing brings her more joy than sharing her knowledge and passion for dance with students of all ages. She believes in making technique classes fun and engaging—especially for young dancers—while still challenging them to grow their skills. One of her greatest joys is watching a student finally achieve a goal they’ve been working toward for weeks.
Paula began her teaching journey at The Talent Factory in Claycomo, MO, alongside her best friend Denise Webb and mentor Tom Land. During that time, she earned her B.A. in Dance Pedagogy at the Conservatory of UMKC. She later taught in Menlo Park, CA, where she trained children preparing for RAD examinations, and then spent ten years at Pacific Studio for Dance in Glendale, CA, under Laura Fremont.
For the past 17 years, Paula has been an integral part of The Artistic Dance Company, where she teaches recreational Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Tumbling, as well as Ballet Technique for Company students. She also coordinates many of the studio’s recitals and produces and directs ADC’s biennial production of The Nutcracker. Beyond the studio, she has choreographed musicals and directed plays at the Twin Lakes Playhouse.
Dedicated to her own growth as an educator, Paula regularly attends dance teacher conferences and workshops and is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT). She believes that dance training extends far beyond the studio walls, teaching discipline, perseverance, creativity, teamwork, and the confidence to overcome fears.
Paula can often be found at the studio nearly every evening, continuing to inspire and support young dancers—and she looks forward to doing so for many years to come.
Katie Berkon
Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, Katie earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Hospitality and Tourism Management from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. During her college years, she gained valuable hands-on experience through summer internships at The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA, and Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, VA. Upon graduation, she was honored with the Outstanding Hospitality & Tourism Management Graduate Award from JMU’s College of Business.
Katie began her career at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C., working in Sales, Convention Services, and Engineering. After two years with Hyatt, she joined Destination DC (formerly the Washington, D.C. Convention & Tourism Corporation) as Executive Coordinator to the Executive Vice President. She later served as Tourism Marketing Coordinator and Special Events Manager, where she planned and executed events both domestically and internationally.
During her tenure at Destination DC, Katie earned her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation from the Convention Industry Council. She was recognized with the Rising Star Award by the Capital Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), where she also served on the Nominating Committee for the PCMA Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the Emerging Leaders Committee’s Student Programs Sub-Committee. Katie has also shared her expertise through numerous speaking engagements at James Madison University and Northern Virginia Community College for Hospitality and Tourism Management students.
In 2009, Katie relocated to Arkansas and has been an integral part of The Artistic Dance Company team since 2019. Her role has grown to encompass not only management but also time spent in the studios with recreational and competitive dancers, expanding her knowledge of all aspects of dance.
Katie is also a proud mother of two girls. Outside the studio, she enjoys reading, sailing, baking, and of course—dancing.
Sadie Quick
Sadie discovered her love for dance at the age of four and has been passionate about it ever since. She joined The Artistic Dance Company in 2012 and spent ten years as a competitive dancer, earning numerous special judges’ awards, high score recognitions, and scholarships. One of her favorite honors was being named Miss Explosive Entertainer at Triumph National Talent. In 2021, Sadie was part of ADC’s first-ever National Championship win, when her group dance earned first place overall and the highest-scoring routine of the competition.
Her talent has also taken her beyond the studio. She danced with national performance teams in 2017 and 2018, trained with renowned artists such as Kathryn McCormick, Keith Clifton, and Anze Skrube at conventions and workshops, and represented ADC at Disney World’s Dance the World event in Orlando.
Within the studio, Sadie has performed in countless recitals, productions, and featured roles. In ADC’s bi-annual production of The Nutcracker, she has taken on major roles including Clara, the Nutcracker, and the Mouse King, along with many other parts over the years. Her love of dance extends into teaching as well—she has been a lead assistant in numerous classes and, in 2021, choreographed and led performances for her own students at a local school.
Sadie graduated from Mountain Home High School in 2023 and is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education at Arkansas State University–Mountain Home. Alongside her studies, she continues to grow her career in the arts as a studio instructor. Sadie looks forward to sharing her passion for dance with every student who walks into her classroom and showing them how the arts can inspire creativity, confidence, and the pursuit of their dreams.
Leah JOnes
Leah Jones grew up with dance being an essential component of her early childhood and teen years in her life dancing both competitively and recreationally at Studio H Dance Company (now The Artistic Dance Company). In her high school years, assisting with recreational classes under the mentorship of Ms. Paula and Ms. Alysa, where she discovered her passion for teaching, inspiring, and loving on the littlest of dancers!
From 2020 to 2023, Leah taught recreational dance at Irby Dance Studio Searcy in Central Arkansas. During that time, she specialized in preschool and beginner classes, further developing her love and passion for helping young dancers build confidence, creativity, and a strong foundation in dance.
Leah earned her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders with minors in Healthcare Management and Women's Ministry from Harding University. During the day, she serves the Mountain Home community as a Speech-Language Pathologist at Personal Therapy Group.
When she's not in the studio or at work, Leah enjoys reading, spending time with her husband, Clayton, and being outdoors. She is excited to share her love of dance with the next generation of dancers at The Artistic Dance Company!
Lauren Dewey
Lauren Dewey began dancing at the age of three and has loved the joy that dance brings to both her life and the lives of others ever since. She trained and competed at Studio H Dance Company (now The Artistic Dance Company) and was a member of the Bomber Belles Dance Team. Throughout her years of training in all styles of dance, Lauren's favorite part was the lifelong friendships she built, many of which she still cherishes today.
During her senior year of high school, Lauren began taking her training and goals more seriously as she prepared to pursue dance at the collegiate level.
Lauren went on to dance all four years at Arkansas State University as a member of the Red Wolves Dancers. In addition to performing on game days, the team competed annually at NDA College Nationals. College dance introduced Lauren to a new level of dedication and discipline. Being a Red Wolves Dancer challenged her to train harder, become stronger, and develop both mental toughness and resilience. As an instructor, her goal is to help the next generation of dancers develop these same qualities both inside and outside the studio.
During her college career, Lauren trained extensively in game day performance and technical dance styles. The Red Wolves Dancers consistently placed in the Top 15 in Division IA Jazz at NDA College Nationals during all four years she competed. This experience reinforced the importance of teamwork and taught her the value of learning from those around her.
While at Arkansas State, Lauren earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in Marketing, as well as a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in Data Analytics. Most recently, she became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Professionally, Lauren serves as a Trust & Wealth Management Officer at First Community Bank. She also serves as a volunteer coach for the Bomber Belles Dance Team.
Lauren is passionate about sharing her love of dance with her students and helping them grow not only as dancers, but also as confident, disciplined, and hardworking individuals.