Instructors
Adult Gymnastics
Coach Arnold
Arnold fell in love with gymnastics at age 16 and has been leading the adult gymnastics classes at Sokol for the past four years. Known for his technical and detail-oriented coaching style, he focuses on developing body awareness and core stability to help students execute skills safely and efficiently. Prior to joining Sokol, he coached at the McBurney YMCA and Lincoln Turners in Chicago.
Children's Gymnastics
Callista
Growing up in a gymnastics household, Callista has more than a decade of experience in acrobatics -- including cheerleading and gymnastics -- and 15+ years in dance. As a choreographer, Callista has spent the last four years aiding youth programs with dance and tumbling throughout Massachusetts and New York. She can't wait to bring her joy of teaching and acrobatics to the families of Sokol!
Gymnastics, Aerial, Dance
Chriselle
In addition to being Sokol's Program Manager, Chriselle has an extensive background as a professional dancer, choreographer and circus artist. She was also a competitive gymnast in her youth and has 10 years of experience coaching children's gymnastics.
Children's Gymnastics
Donna K.
Coach Donna brings a lifelong love of gymnastics and more than 20 years of coaching experience to Sokol. She has a background in aerial arts that includes a U.S. tour as a trapeze artist with a traveling circus. Coach Donna also has an academic background in nursery through eighth grade education. She is a certified clinical social worker.
Children's Gymnastics
Dwight
Coach Dwight is a former national-level competitive gymnast and retired global eyewear owner who ventured into the world of elite women’s gymnastics 12 years ago for his daughter's development and found a new passion in coaching.
Youth and Adult Ballet
Felicia
Following in her mother’s footsteps who started teaching ballet at Sokol in the 1990s, Felicia has been teaching children’s ballet class since 2019 and adult ballet class since 2023. Born in a ballet classroom, Felicia spent her childhood watching ballet dancers in class every day until she was old enough to start taking ballet class herself. After a break in her later teen and college years, Felicia returned to ballet as a young adult.
Ground Circus
John
John has performed at the Metropolitan Opera in various shows for 40 years, as a clown, juggler, and stilt walker. He marched on stilts in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, played and taught at the Festival of Fools in Amsterdam ’80 and ’84. He has been teaching Circus Arts since the early ‘70s and is excited to teach at Sokol!
Children's Dance
Katie
Katie studied ballet at Interlochen Arts Academy and proceeded to receive her BFA in Ballet from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She has performed professionally with companies such as Cincinnati Ballet, East Coast Contemporary Ballet, Staten Island Ballet, and Connecticut Ballet. Katelyn shares her love of movement through teaching dance, empowering students to build confidence and embrace self-expression.
Handstands/Partner Acrobatics, Ground Circus
Kelsey
Kelsey is a multi-skilled physical performer with a professional background in circus arts. As a facilitator, she focuses on building strong fundamentals—helping students develop body awareness, improve mobility, and gain confidence through playful, skill-based training. An alum of the New England Center for Circus Arts, Kelsey has performed a variety of skills in various productions at the Metropolitan Opera, including the juggling ensemble in Philip Glass’s ‘Akhnaten.’
Yoga
Marissa
Marissa is a full time speech therapist as well as a certified movement instructor, specializing in stretch/ mobility, yoga, and dance fitness. Under her wellness brand, Marissa Movements, she hosts numerous health and wellness community events across NYC, with a primary focus on bringing holistic wellness to black/brown and other underserved/ underrepresented communities.
Pilates
Michelle M.
Michelle is a movement educator and Pilates instructor with over a decade of experience in dance, fitness, and body-aware training. She specializes in precise, injury-informed Pilates instruction that supports strength, alignment, and long-term movement health. Michelle brings a thoughtful and empowering approach to working with clients of all backgrounds and experience levels.
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Michelle Y.
A former Junior Olympian in rhythmic gymnastics, Michelle now leads the recreational rhythmic gymnastics program at Sokol New York. She has spent years coaching young athletes across New York City and runs every class to be warm, paced to each child, and, most importantly, a space where kids feel safe being themselves as they explore movement. She models her coaching style after what she needed as a young girl in the sport.
Adult Modern Dance
Nicole
Bio to come
Swing Dance (Adults)
Oscar
Originally from Texas, serendipitous life events brought Oscar and his wife to New York, where theyfell in love with the energy of the city. A recreational dancer, Oscar has been moonlighting as the resident swing instructor at Sokol since 2023 as a much needed escape from the corporate grind.
Ground Circus
Rebecca
Rebecca currently runs the aerial program at Vital Climbing Gym in Williamsburg. She has taught aerial arts at a variety of studios to ages 3-adult. She is the producer of an ongoing variety show, Cats Eye Cabaret.
Adult Gymnastics; Tots Gymnastics Sub
Sheri
Sheri has been taking gymnastics classes at Sokol for 21 years and started coaching in October 2023 alongside Coach Arnold. Sheri has also been a Sokol member for 13 years. Sheri also works full-time with Habitat for Humanity, building affordable housing in NYC and Westchester County.
Tots Gymnastics
Sophie
Coach Sophie is a Tots and Baby and Me gymnastics coach. She grew up in the gym and has been doing gymnastics for as long as she can remember, including competitive gymnastics for several years. After her gymnastics career, she transitioned to coaching and is happy to be coaching as part of the Sokol family!
Ballet-Based Dance for Adults; Musical Theater Dance
Suzi
Suzi has been a professional dancer, a Broadway performer, street clown, trapeze flyer, editor and publisher of literary magazines, political writer, educator, business leader, and arts champion. Suzi co-founded and directed Circus Warehouse, the premier professional circus training center in NYC, from 2010 through March 2020.
Tots Gymnastics, Gymnastics Substitute
Emma
Bio to come
Tots Gymnastics
Gabrielle
Bio to come
Aerial Circus
Zepe
Bio to come