Sofia Isgård
BDanceSt LRAD ARAD RAD RTS
Born and raised on the Hibiscus Coast, Sofia discovered her love for dance at a young age. She began ballet lessons at the Lea Sandford School of Dancing at six years old, and under the inspiring guidance of Mrs. Sandford, she completed all her RAD ballet exams — achieving Grade 8 in 2012 and Advanced 2 in 2017.
Sofia’s passion for dance led her to pursue a career in dance education. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Dance Studies, where she had spent three enriching years studying contemporary dance, dance history, education, kinesiology, and choreography.
Following university, Sofia moved to Europe and spent nearly five years based in Stockholm, where she met her now-husband, Fredrik. While overseas, she completed her RAD teacher training at the Royal Academy of Dance headquarters in London, becoming a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance in 2020.
During her time in Stockholm, Sofia taught ballet at Gustavsbergbaletten and also worked full-time as a gym manager and Les Mills instructor. In October 2022, she and Fredrik returned to the Hibiscus Coast, and have since bought a home, got married, become puppy-parents and this year welcomed their baby boy Atlas to the world.
Since returning home, Sofia has been teaching full-time back at the Lea Sandford School of Dancing. She is thrilled to have now taken the next step by purchasing the school, and she is excited to lead it into the future with passion, care, and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of dancers.
Sofia’s passion for dance led her to pursue a career in dance education. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Dance Studies, where she had spent three enriching years studying contemporary dance, dance history, education, kinesiology, and choreography.
Following university, Sofia moved to Europe and spent nearly five years based in Stockholm, where she met her now-husband, Fredrik. While overseas, she completed her RAD teacher training at the Royal Academy of Dance headquarters in London, becoming a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance in 2020.
During her time in Stockholm, Sofia taught ballet at Gustavsbergbaletten and also worked full-time as a gym manager and Les Mills instructor. In October 2022, she and Fredrik returned to the Hibiscus Coast, and have since bought a home, got married, become puppy-parents and this year welcomed their baby boy Atlas to the world.
Since returning home, Sofia has been teaching full-time back at the Lea Sandford School of Dancing. She is thrilled to have now taken the next step by purchasing the school, and she is excited to lead it into the future with passion, care, and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of dancers.
Annaliese Coombridge
RAD RTS
Annaliese is an RAD Registered Teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching ballet to students of all levels, from pre-school to adults. Having grown up on the Hibiscus Coast, she is excited to be back in the community by teaching local students. Annaliese is dedicated to providing high-quality, encouraging training that fosters both technical excellence and a genuine love of dance.