Our Directors

Liza Pollok
Founder / Director

Liza Pollok
Sonja Peder Staines
Artistic Director

Sonja Peder Staines
Liza Pollok

Founder / Director

Liza Pollok

Liza Pollok has been dancing for 43 years, since the age of 5.  She grew up in Australia and moved with her family to the States at age 18.  Before founding Ballet Excelsior of Houston, Liza danced professionally with Ad deum Dance Company and other Houston-based companies for many years. Pollok has also studied extensively with RAD, CSTD , ISTD , SCB and ABT.

She has attained certifications from several dance institutes and most recently with the American Ballet Theater teaching program. Liza has been dancing professionally nationally and throughout the world for many years.  Her commitment to artistic excellence has opened the door to many performances in Australia, South America, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Czech Republic, China, Japan, Canada, Greece, Bulgaria and many other nations as well as many performance halls across the USA.  Liza says, “I am so excited to continue this work and pour out our gifts into our community for this season of 2023.”  As Co-owners of Excelsior School of Dance, Liza and mother, Sonja Staines, (founder of Excelsior School of Dance and Artistic Director of Ballet Excelsior), both consider it an honor to team together with a single goal in mind… to Carry His Name to the Nations. It is our calling and we couldn’t be more humbled and honored to follow His lead.

Sonja Peder Staines

Artistic Director

Sonja Peder Staines

Sonja Staines, Co-Founder and Owner of Sonshine Christian Ballet in Queensland, Australia, and moved it to the USA in 1993. In 1996 she founded the Sonshine Theatre Company, later Excelsior School of Dance and became the Artistic Director of Ballet Excelsior of Houston in 2003. Since then, Sonja has produced and staged original ballets for Ballet Excelsior of Houston, and the school both here and internationally, including Narnia, Awaken, Deliver Us – the story of Moses, As Time Goes Bye, The Parable, Esther, Saviour and Ants’hillvania. Performances venues have included many nations, Canada, Australia, America, Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, Czech Republic, Japan, China and Mongolia. Excelsior School of Dance is situated on Robinson Road, near The Woodlands, and holds classes for all ages and levels of dance offering thorough training for students. For more information you may email: excelsiorschoolofdance@gmail.com
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