Linda Berghoff (Dancing Through Parkinson's teacher, Invertigo board member, person living with Parkinson's) has danced recreationally all of her life. When she was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2006, the diagnosis struck a blow at her most beloved activity. She continued to stay active and take dance classes. While in NYC visiting her children, she found out about the Dance for PD® program and received teacher training with Invertigo Dance Theatre members, both in Brooklyn and LA. She is proud to collaborate with Invertigo to bring an invaluable program to people living with PD. Linda's health continues to be strong, perhaps aided by her continued movement and dance regimen. She is also a board member of Invertigo Dance Theatre.
Sofia Klass (Dancing Through Parkinson's Co-founder, Invertigo dancer) is a founding member of Invertigo Dance Theatre and has danced with the company since 2008. Sofia was the company manager for Invertigo from 2010-2014, and in 2014 she changed positions to director of programming for Dancing Through Parkinson’s. Sofia has been teaching for Dancing Through Parkinson’s since its inception, and trained with the Dance for PD® program in both New York and Los Angeles. For the past ten years, Sofia’s passion for teaching has brought her to studios all over Los Angeles to teach movement classes in pilates, yoga, and dance. She is especially interested in therapeutic approaches to movement and teaching dance to non-dancers. Her movement interests are in improvisation, athletic contemporary dance, and somatic practices. She has big dreams for the Dancing Through Parkinson’s program and hopes to fortify its presence in Los Angeles as part of a larger umbrella program called Dancing Through Life, which reaches a wider range of dancers and people of different physical abilities.
Laura Karlin (Dancing Through Parkinson's teacher) is the Artistic Director of Invertigo Dance Theatre. She founded Invertigo in 2007. She choreographs for Invertigo, manages its operations and teaches dance classes for everyone from professionals to beginners who swear they can't dance (they can). She has participated in Dance for PD® workshops in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Laura is a certified yoga teacher, a gardener who likes to grow vegetables and an avid baker of pies.
Fiona Karlin (Dancing Through Parkinson's administrator, Invertigo board member) is proud to work with the board members and artists of Invertigo Dance Theatre, and to be very involved in the Dancing Through Parkinson's classes. She is the person who will check you in at the door, greeting you with kindness and enthusiasm. She also bakes cookies for almost every class, which is the reason we're pretty sure most of our participants come to class so often. Fiona also works as a docent giving tours at LACMA, and is a former chair of the Docent Council.
Alyson Mattoon (Dancing Through Parkinson's teacher) is a certified Pilates Instructor, GYROTONIC® trainer, professional dancer and movement educator in Los Angeles. She is the creator of BodyBPM™and a dance teacher with Invertigo Dance Theatre’s Dancing Through Parkinson’s program. Movement has been Aly’s passion, life guide, and inspiration from the beginning. She believes in the altering positive power of movement and feels everyone has the ability to express, open, unite, and strengthen their whole selves through different movement modalities. Aly’s teaching style and personality is relatable, energetic, athletic, detail-oriented and always encouraging.
Originally from Sedona, Arizona, Aly left the red rocks to pursue her dancing at Virginia School of the Arts on scholarship where she studied ballet, jazz, modern dance, Pilates and theater. Upon graduating from VSA, Aly’s professional dance career took flight with The State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara, where she danced as a principle dancer for a decade. While dancing, Aly taught and choreographed for Gustafson Dance, State Street Ballet summer intensives and Westmont College. After obtaining her comprehensive Pilates certification through Body Arts and Science International (basi), she began teaching in Santa Barbara at La Playa Pilates. In 2010 Aly moved to Los Angeles to further pursue her teaching and dance career. She has appeared in fitness and music videos and continues to perform and choreograph professionally today. Aly’s mission in life is to empower others through movement. www.alymattoon.com
Monica Miklas (Community Programs Manager) is a creative producer and arts administrator with nearly a decade of experience across the performing arts in Los Angeles. Monica began her professional arts career as the in-house producer for comedy ensemble Lost Moon Radio, eventually serving as the company’s Executive Director. She is the co-founder, producer, and dramaturg of Capital W, an award-winning immersive theatre company focusing on emotionally intimate, challenging, site-specific performance. Monica branched into the classical music world as the Assistant Director of Events and Projects for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, producing fundraisers, managing the guest artist residency program, and leading the Sound Investment commissioning program. In addition to her current freelance work as an event producer and project consultant, Monica is part of the events team at the Autry Museum of the American West. Across her work, Monica specializes in creating exceptional audience and participant experiences and building collaborative relationships. Her artistic passions are new work and interdisciplinary performance.
Monica graduated from CSULB's MBA/MFA Theatre Management program in 2015, where her thesis research analyzed the experiences of producers in fringe festivals, and holds a BA in Sociology from Stanford University. Monica is on the board of the League of Experiential and Immersive Artists and is an active member of the Hollywood Fringe community. She is also an aerialist, specializing in aerial silks.
Rachel Whiting (Dancing Through Parkinson's teacher) is thrilled to be a part of Invertigo’s Dancing Through Parkinson’s program. She finds the classes inspiring and an important part of her dance life. Rachel is currently a practitioner of movement healing arts, employing several techniques including Pilates and Gyrotonic. Her practice is informed by a lifelong background in dance; the study of ballet from an early age, attendance at the Julliard School, apprentice & faculty member at The Merce Cunningham Dance Company, dance program director at Oure Idraesthojoskole(Denmark). Guest artist/teacher in Europe and the U.S., including Colorado’s first International Baccalaureate dance program. In San Francisco she taught at ODC/SF children’s program, and at Sacred Heart Catholic High School. She has performed with the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Ton Simons, Brenda Daniels, Mark Jarecke, Sensedance(New York). Professonalt Compagni Oure, Ny Musik Odense(Denmark), Skaanes Dans Theater(Sweden), Los Angeles Chamber Ballet (California), David Taylor Dance Theatre(Colorado), Element Dance Theater, Nancy Karp + Dancers, Deborah Slater Dance Theater(San Francisco), and with the Bookings Art Foundation as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic cultural exchange(China).