Sophie Bress is a freelance journalist and dance critic. She regularly contributes to Dance Magazine and Fjord Review, and has also written for The New York Times, NPR, Resident Advisor, Pointe, Apartment Therapy, Well+Good, Dance Teacher, and more. Sophie also served as the interim editor of The Dance Edit, a daily newsletter from Dance Media Publications.
Much of Sophie's work centers around dance and mental health, though she's also written about dance music, fitness, and the outdoors. Sophie has worked closely with the editorial team at Dance Magazine to expand the publication’s coverage of mental health within the dance industry and has also written and published personal essays, poetry, and book reviews.
In 2020, Sophie graduated from the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism with an M.A. in arts journalism. For her master's thesis, she detailed the activism work and history of Los Angeles-based dance company CONTRA-TIEMPO and received grant funding for travel and reporting related to this project. Prior to completing her Master's, Sophie earned her B.A. in dance with an English minor in journalism from Loyola Marymount University.
What is something you gained from the LMU Dance Program that is still with you today?
My time at LMU dance introduced me to new ways of thinking about the world and my place in it. I found myself looking forward to the dance reviews we were required to write for technique classes, which opened me up to the idea of myself as an arts journalist. My background as a dancer — and the creative thinking that was fostered at LMU dance — have helped me immensely in my career.
What creative projects are you currently involved in?
Since I graduated with my Master’s in Arts Journalism from USC this spring, I’ve been working as a freelance journalist. I’m currently working on several articles for Dance Magazine, as well as my daily job as a staff writer for top dance music publication Dancing Astronaut. I am also awaiting publication on a profile of recent LMU grad Kiera Breaugh, which I wrote for West LA-based arts and culture magazine The Argonaut.
How is dance meaningful to you, and how has it influenced your artistic goals?
Dance is meaningful to me because it has instilled within me a discipline and drive to reach my goals, creativity to stand out, and a community where I will always belong. Though I chose not to pursue performance, I am still a dancer at heart and I find it so special that I can turn to dance wherever I am in the world to find a community that will welcome me.