SOMA Center for Dance was founded on a vision of unearthing movement as a vital form of expression for all people, everywhere. SOMA believes high-quality, cutting-edge dance education should be made more accessible to everyday people because dance is for everybody.
SOMA began as an idea to make dance education more approachable to everyone from kids to adults, new learners to professional dancers. We believe in the power of movement to strengthen and heal the body. We also believe movement gives us a new language for communication and appreciation of one another’s unique voices and experiences.
We also believe that high-quality, expert art education has the power to take learners wherever they desire to go in the world. SOMA aims to heighten the quality and expectations of dance education in a place lacking access to high-quality dance education and overall performance opportunities. We want to train students who want to go places – and wherever you want to go, we want to help get you there.
SOMA was birthed by director and founder Trevor Edwards while he was living in Nashville and performing with a professional company there. Earlier that year, he had been touring nationally with another company and questioning the direction his career was taking. Towards the end of his year there, through prophetic dream, he discovered he needed to do something different and more impactful with his time and experiences.
Having had experience with the many directions a career in dance can take, Trevor’s strongest desire was to be an educator and to have the flexibility and freedom to continue creating his own works. His hometown, the small, rural town of Glasgow, was an ideal place to get out of the oversaturated city while also bringing a level of dance education that was lacking in the area.
SOMA Center for Dance was born the summer of 2019 in a tiny studio it quickly outgrew off the square in downtown Glasgow, Kentucky. Trevor began laying a foundation for a new style of dance education that was far more expansive and inclusive than anything Glasgow had seen or witnessed before.
Today, SOMA boasts four full-length shows a year, alongside a year-long class load of versatile dance styles: ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, musical theater, choreography, improvisation, musical theater and acting. SOMA is well on its way to being the premier dance community in the Southern Kentucky region!
But the horizons aren’t limited to just Kentucky! By founding SOMA as a locally-focused dance performance and outreach organization, we hope to continue inspiring our local community, however, we are also globally-minded in our approach to providing highly accessible dance education and aim to expand our online educational programs through SOMA over the upcoming seasons!
We hope you’ll choose to join the growing dance community at SOMA and help us continue building something truly beautiful. Whether you are a new mover or a career dancer, we hope to provide you with the tools you need to stay sharp and become more expansive in your movement vocabulary and training!
Be sure to join SOMA in theaters for our upcoming Fall 2022 and WINTER 2022 productions:
SALEM: October 15th at 6pm and October 16th at 3pm at the historical Plaza Theatre in downtown Glasgow, Kentucky. SALEM is inspired by the witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. These trials were based on the accusations of a twelve-year-old girl named Abigail Williams. Join SOMA for this family-friendly take on American History just in time for spooky season! You will be sure to have a wickedly wonderful time!
The Nutcracker: December 17th & December 18th, also at The Plaza Theatre! The Nutcracker boasts original choreography by Artistic Director Trevor Edwards and SOMA’s artistic team to the traditional story of The Nutcracker set to the classical score by Tchaikovsky. This is a holiday treat for the entire family and a new tradition for the Barren County and South Central Kentucky community! Support local artists and attend local art!
Be sure to follow us on social media @somamoves on instagram and TikTok, Soma – Center for Dance on Facebook, and visit our website for more information at somaky.org.
-submitted by SOMA Center for Dance
