We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sophie Williams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sophie below.

Sophie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on recently has actually been the launch of a new initiative within Pointeworks—our residency weeks—and the first of those took place this past March in New York.

As Pointeworks has grown, I’ve been really intentional about expanding beyond just a single performance season and thinking about how we can create more consistent, year-round opportunities for artists. The residency model came out of that—short, paid, highly focused creation periods where we bring together dancers and choreographers from different companies to develop new work in an intensive setting.

This March residency was our first time putting that into practice. We worked with choreographer Danielle Diniz and dancers AvaRose Dillon, Chandler Proctor, and Ella Titus. The goal wasn’t tied to a traditional stage performance—it was about process, experimentation, and creating something new in a very concentrated timeframe.
Over the course of the week, we developed what became Rule of Three, which we then translated into a dance film. That was an important evolution for us as well—thinking about how Pointeworks can create work that lives both onstage and digitally, expanding access and extending the life of the project beyond the studio.

What made it especially meaningful to me was that it represented a shift from producing individual events to building a broader creative ecosystem. We were able to provide paid work, support a female choreographer in developing a new piece, and create a space where artists could collaborate without the usual constraints of a full production timeline.
It also set a foundation. This wasn’t just a one-off project—it became a model we’re continuing to build on with additional residencies in New York and San Diego. So while the week itself was incredibly impactful, what made it most meaningful was that it marked the beginning of something much larger for the organization.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Sophie Williams, and I’m the Founder and Artistic Director of Pointeworks, a nonprofit ballet company I launched in 2023 alongside my career as a professional dancer.

I came into this work from within the traditional ballet system—training at Ballet Arte in San Diego, continuing through Miami City Ballet’s pre-professional division, and then dancing professionally with companies including Royal New Zealand Ballet and now Texas Ballet Theater. Through that experience, I became very aware of a structural gap in the field: dancers and choreographers often have limited opportunities to work outside of the rigid company season, and new creation—especially by women choreographers and composers—is still underrepresented on major stages.
Pointeworks was created as a response to that.

At its core, we provide paid, project-based employment for professional dancers during the off-season while commissioning and producing new works. Each season brings together artists from leading ballet companies across the U.S. to collaborate on original choreography, often paired with live music and newly commissioned scores. In addition to our mainstage performances, we’ve expanded into residency programs, mentorship initiatives for pre-professional dancers, and pay-what-you-can open rehearsals that invite audiences into the creative process.

What we’re really offering is both an artistic platform and an ecosystem—one that supports artists holistically while also making ballet more accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences.

I think what sets Pointeworks apart is the combination of rigor and intentionality behind the work. We’re operating at a high artistic level—working with dancers and collaborators from major institutions—while also being very mission-driven in how and why the work is made. There’s a strong emphasis on elevating women creators, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and maintaining a transparent, artist-centered structure.

I’m especially proud of how quickly the organization has grown in both scale and impact. In just a few seasons, Pointeworks has been recognized alongside major international companies, while still staying deeply connected to its core values—supporting artists, building new work, and engaging audiences in meaningful ways.

For anyone encountering Pointeworks for the first time, I’d want them to know that this is about more than just performance. It’s about creating opportunities where they don’t traditionally exist, investing in artists at every stage of the process, and building a model for what the future of ballet can look like—collaborative, accessible, and forward-thinking.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

A thriving creative ecosystem requires both cultural value and structural support.
First, there needs to be a broader recognition that artists are not just contributors to culture—they are workers. That means prioritizing fair pay, sustainable funding models, and more consistent employment opportunities. Too often, creative work is undervalued or expected to exist on passion alone, which ultimately limits who is able to participate and sustain a career in the field.
Second, investment in new work is essential. Commissioning and supporting living artists—especially those from underrepresented perspectives—ensures that the art form continues to evolve rather than relying solely on historical repertoire. This applies across disciplines, but in ballet in particular, there’s a real need to continue expanding whose voices are shaping the future of the field.
Access is another critical piece, both for artists and audiences. For artists, that means creating pathways into the field through training, mentorship, and paid opportunities. For audiences, it means making work financially and physically accessible—whether through subsidized tickets, open rehearsals, or community-based programming—so that engagement with the arts isn’t limited to a narrow demographic.
Finally, fostering collaboration across disciplines and communities strengthens the entire ecosystem. When artists, institutions, and local communities are in dialogue, it creates a more dynamic and resilient cultural landscape.
At the core, supporting artists means investing in both the people and the process—not just the final product.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience has really been a defining part of my path in ballet.
Unlike the more traditional trajectory—joining a company out of school and working your way steadily through the ranks—my career has been much less linear. I’ve danced with 13 different companies, and along the way, three of those organizations folded. Each time that happened, I was essentially starting from zero—finding new work, relocating, rebuilding connections, and reestablishing stability from scratch.

That cycle is actually more common in ballet than people realize. Most contracts are season-to-season, so there’s very little long-term security. You’re constantly navigating what comes next, often without guarantees. For me, that meant learning early on how to adapt quickly, advocate for myself, and stay grounded even when things felt uncertain.

There wasn’t a single moment that defined resilience—it was the repetition of that experience. Auditioning again after a company closed. Moving cities. Stepping into entirely new environments and proving myself over and over. It forced me to develop a kind of durability and independence that I don’t think I would have gained otherwise.

At the same time, that path gave me a broader perspective on the field. I experienced a wide range of company structures, artistic processes, and leadership styles, which ultimately shaped how I think about building Pointeworks. It’s a big part of why I’m so committed to creating more consistent, reliable opportunities for dancers—because I’ve lived the instability that so many artists face.

So while it wasn’t the “cookie-cutter” path, I’m grateful for it. It taught me how to keep moving forward, how to build something out of uncertainty, and how to turn those challenges into a foundation for creating something more sustainable for others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pointeworks.org
• Instagram: @pointe_works
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pointework

Image Credits

Raquel Beauchamp, Sophie Williams, Hannah Cox