About Us

 Ms. Sonja, founded Thrive Dance & Fitness in 2009. Thrive Dance & Fitness is a mobile dance and gymnastics company committed to providing quality performing arts education to local preschools, elementary schools, parks, recreational centers, and even your own backyard.  We offer a unique blend of Dance, Motor Development, Gymnastics, and Fitness programs that incorporate numbers, colors, shapes, words, and songs for children aged 2-12. Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to ignite your child's imagination, featuring a wide range of props.

 Our mission is to create a safe and  enjoyable environment where children can flourish, learn, and cultivate a genuine passion for both dance and fitness. We firmly believe that our program not only provides academic learning but also bolsters social aptitude, fosters teamwork, refines coordination, nurtures creativity, and, most crucially, bolsters self-esteem.
 

Ms. Sonja has had a lifelong passion for dance coupled with a love for teaching children. Her dance journey began at the age of 3, and by 16, she was sharing her passion for dance teaching students, and she continues to teach ages 2 through adults today. Ms. Sonja's training encompasses ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and Dance Fitness. She's not just a dance instructor; she's an Early Childhood Movement Specialist, certified in all the programs she teaches.

With over two decades of experience, Ms. Sonja has also thrived as a freelance Group Fitness Instructor. Her passion for dance has led her to learn from distinguished mentors like Kitty Carter, Janice Barringer, Daryl Retter, Becca Retter, Tommie Retter, Donna Richardson, Emily Welsh, Christa Reily, Stephanie Huckabee, Lauren George, Sara Kooperman, and many more.

Ms. Sonja is a proud Alumni of Texas Woman’s University and married her husband at TWU’s Little Chapel in The Woods in 2003. Ms. Sonja holds Master's in Education from The University of Tennessee, in addition to various certifications in dance and fitness. She remains committed to staying up to date with the latest teaching trends by attending regular teacher training sessions and workshops.

When Ms. Sonja is not dancing you can find her spending quality time with her family and two beloved Danes Wyatt and Max.