Newport Beach : Fashion Island

Linda Sohl-Ellison

Rhapsody In Taps

Linda Sohl-Ellison is the Artistic Director and Choreographer for Rhapsody In Taps, a Los Angeles based tap and live jazz/world music company she co-founded in 1981. Her extensive dance background includes mentorships with tap masters. Foster Johnson, Eddie Brown, Honi Coles and Buster Brown, and a collaborative choreography project for RIT with Gregory Hines. A leader in the tap dance resurgence, Ms. Sohl-Ellison is recognized for her choreographic innovation and has been awarded five Choreographer’s Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, three grants from the James Irvine Foundation and Artist Fellowships from the California Arts Community Foundation. She received a Lester Horton Dance Award for Outstanding Choreography and Distinguished Alumni Award from Ohio University College of Fine Arts in 2006. In 2007 she and Rhapsody In Taps received a Milestone Award from the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors for 25 years of outstanding performances, service and presenting dance in Los Angeles. RIT’s annual season includes a children’s program for 4th and 5th grade students bussed from LAUSD to the Aratani Japan America Theatre each October. As Artistic Director for RIT, Linda has overseen all programs for the 27- year life of the company.

Linda is a Professor of Dance at Orange Coast College, since 1978, where she teaches tap and other dance forms, directs student productions and mentors dancers with professional career goals. She has toured throughout the United States, Asia, France, Germany, Bali and Japan teaching tap master classes, workshops and performing as a tap soloist. She and her husband, percussionist/dancer Monti Ellison, also teach residences and perform a duet repertoire. Linda is proud to be an ambassador for lululemon athletica!