The Charleston County SOA Dance Department, with an emphasis on both technical mastery and creativity, introduces dancers to a wide array of dance styles they would not get anywhere else.

The goal is to provide students with the necessary skills and discipline to be successful as a dancer and a college dance student, focusing on process. The well-rounded curriculum provides the movement, the technical skills, the creativity, and knowledge demanded by college dance programs nationwide.

Our curriculum is grounded in National and South Carolina Dance Standards, ensuring every student builds a strong, recognized foundation.

SOA Dance

Our Faculty

Performance Opportunities

Guest Artists in Residency

Big ideas, real training.

Only School of the Arts offers:

7 guest artists per year
National Honor Society for Dance Arts (Learn More)
National HS Dance Festival every other year: classes, performances, and scholarship opportunities for college dance programs and summer intensives
Regional HS Dance Festival every other year in Norfolk, VA: classes, performances, and scholarship opportunities for college dance programs and summer intensives
SC Dancing Festival- dance classes, performances, and South Carolina teachers and college dance programs recruiting for programs
Third Thursdays lunch socials
Technical Theatre- lighting, sound, backstage, stage manager, usher
Seniors earn a thesis medal and wear it at graduation
Senior gift from the dance department

Leslie Jones

6th, 8th, Junior Comp, Senior Thesis

Leslie Jones holds an MFA in Dance from Texas Woman's University and a BFA in Dance from the University of Central Oklahoma. She danced professionally with Oklahoma City's Perpetual Motion, performing across the Midwest and at international festivals including the Performaticá Festival in Puebla, Mexico. A dance educator since 2005, Leslie has taught modern, ballet, improvisation, and creative dance across studios, public schools, and higher education — including as adjunct faculty at the College of Charleston. She joined the SOA Dance faculty in 2017.

Kristin Tillotson

Kristin holds a BFA in Dance Education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a Master's in Dance/Movement Therapy from Drexel University. Kristin joined SOA Dance faculty in 2014, building a reputation for student-centered rigorous technical training that fosters creativity, confidence, and personal growth.

With a background in Dance/Movement Therapy, Kristin believes movement is a powerful form of communication and self-expression. Her students have gone on to attend prestigious dance conservatories, earning scholarships and pursuing professional careers within the arts.

A Past President of the South Carolina Dance Association, Kristin has choreographed numerous musicals and trained alongside artists including Judith Jamison and Mia Michaels.

High School Dance

Amanda Evans

Amanda is a classically trained dancer from Lewisville, Texas, who began her pre-professional training at The Ballet Conservatory and danced with Lakecities Ballet Theatre before earning her BFA in Classical Ballet Performance Magna Cum Laude from the University of Oklahoma. As a student she trained at summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, and The Joffrey Ballet, and performed works by George Balanchine.

Amanda danced professionally with Palmetto City Ballet for seven seasons and continues as a company artist and choreographer with Unbound Ballet Project. A recipient of the Miguel Terekhov Choreography Award, she coaches classical ballet and contemporary styles across the greater Charleston area and is thrilled to join the SOA Dance faculty.

7th Grade Dance

Linda Cline

Linda Cline danced and choreographed in New York City before bringing her extraordinary depth of experience to Charleston. She studied ballet at American Ballet Theatre and modern dance with legends including Merce Cunningham, performing with numerous companies and independent choreographers. A highlight of her career was performing with Meredith Monk in Quarry at the Spoleto Festival in 2003.

Linda developed the dance program at Hilton Head High School before joining SOA in 2001, where she taught for over 25 years and left an indelible mark on the program. A Past President of the SC Dance Association and lead dance teacher for CCSD, she brought world-class guest artists and national exposure to SOA students throughout her tenure.

Her legacy lives on in every dancer who has passed through this program.