Brown Ballerina Ambassador Sophia Cooper Reflects on a Meaningful Dancer-Teacher Bond

Sophia Cooper, 18, is a Brown Ballerina Ambassador from Lexington, Kentucky. She was introduced to dance at the age of 2 and began dancing competitively at 5. Although Sophia has studied various forms of dance, ballet is her specialty. In fact, she currently majors in ballet at her local performing arts school, which she’s been attending since the fourth grade. In her interview below, Sophia reflects on special moments she’s shared with her dance teacher, Diana Evans Pulliam, along with valuable lessons she’s gained under Diana’s teaching.

Diana is the owner of the Diana Evans School of Dance. The school hosts dancers as young as 18-months-old and offers lessons in hip-hop, jazz, tap, musical theatre, ballet, and contemporary dance. Diana is a 50-year member of Dance Masters of America, which is one of the reasons Sophia says “there is never a moment when I doubt her wisdom, especially pertaining to dance.”

The Beauty of Collaboration

Over the 16 years that I’ve been dancing at Diana Evans School of Dance, I like to think that my soul has deeply connected with Diana. I’ve always been a really shy person, but with Diana, I feel at home. As I’ve gotten older, I find myself finishing her sentences before she can or correcting a step before she has time to tell me what was wrong with it. Because of our similar Type A personalities, we’re almost always on the same page.

My favorite moment with Miss Diana was this past summer. I was able to travel with her to Texas to help her in the choreographing of the opening number for the Miss and Mister Dance of America competition. We spent a whole week together. This collaboration was so special because, more than ever before, our minds became one. She would explain the storyline while I would execute her choreography, transferring it to the participating contestants. At the end of each day, we would compare our observations from the rehearsals and oftentimes they were the same. While this was the most special experience to me, every moment with Diana is full of love and enlightenment.

Dancing with Life

The biggest thing that I have learned from Diana is that without a story, it’s not art. One of my favorite things she says is, “The lights are on but nobody’s home.” She uses this analogy to remind us that your eyes are the windows to the soul. Your eyes may be open while dancing, but unless you use them to tell the story, you might as well keep them closed. I’ll always carry this quote with me because it really is true. As a girl of a few words, I find myself using my eyes to tell my story.

The Dancer-Teacher Bond

Diana stands out as being special to me because of the passion she has for her students. Nothing is quite as rewarding as seeing D get a sparkle or tear in her eye after you dance. You know you’ve done the right thing once you see that glimmer. She really is proud of each of her students, creating a bond with many that will last a lifetime.

The connection between a dancer and their teacher is extremely important because it allows for a comfortable space to create. Dance is an art in which collaboration is key. To be able to feed good energy to and from someone, there must be a connection; without it, nothing will feel true to the soul.

A Thought For Dancers

I encourage all dancers to find a teacher that they connect with. While not every teacher will be the right fit for you, you must always remember that there is a reason they do what they do. If your teacher is being hard on you, it’s because they care and want you to get better. If your teacher gives you a step that you haven’t done before, it’s because they have faith in you, so have faith in them. The connection is always worth it.

Photo: Sophia Cooper (left) and Diana Evans Pulliam; photo provided by Sophia Cooper

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Our Brown Ballerina Ambassador program is designed to create opportunities for young dancers in training to be seen as leaders and to eventually become mentors to other Brown Ballerinas in Training. To find out more about our ambassador program and how you can support it, visit our Ambassador/Mentorship Program page.

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Note: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.