Former McLean resident Sofie Treibitz followed the ballerina path since she was a two-year old dancing in a local ballet class, and now she is in the big time, dancing professionally at American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles.

In early June, Sofie dances in a combination of "The Euterpides," and George Balanchine’s “Serenade.” These are described as the "landmark of 20th-century ballet that changed the art forever. … Set to Tchaikovsky’s luminous score, Serenade remains as mesmerizing today as when it debuted in 1934, a work of enduring beauty, mystery, and poetic power."

Sofie’s been in LA about a year, dancing in a CBS studio, visiting the HOLLYWOOD letters on the mountainside and smiling at celebrities as she passes by en route to the next moment in the spotlight. “Dancing With the Stars,” is also filmed in the same building so she sees them too. “I always get excited,” she said.

It’s different than McLean but she tries to remain grounded. “Ballet was always my focus, I love to perform,” she

said. Gawking at the HOLLYWOOD sign was even exciting. “That’s a must, there’s always people filming there,” she added.

The American Contemporary Ballet attracts the attention of national reviewers from the LA Times, Vogue, The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter and the Ballet Herald to name a few. It's a big deal in the dance world and Sofie finds herself immersed in Hollywood out on the west coast. She’s gone to two high level photo shoots with professional photographers that are known for magazine covers such as Vogue and Vanity Fair. They had professional make-up artists, costumes and everything that is seen on the red carpet.

“Both shoots that I have been part of were way above things I’ve experienced before,” she said.

These red carpet experiences are etched in her mind, as is the massive fire in Los Angeles recently. 

“The fire was scary,” she said. Sofie was not directly affected by that, but she saw many of her fellow artists impacted, so she pitched in and helped whenever possible. That included sorting out donated goods at the local YMCA.

Kelly Treibitz, Sofie's mother, looks at the ballet training as a good move throughout her life. “Ballet has offered Sofie the opportunity to work with so many other talented dedicated professionals all over the country. She has learned to persevere when things get hard and appreciate the positive in every situation,” she said.

Fitting in out in L.A. is easy for her, and just to make sure, she’s taking surfing lessons too. Surfing and ballet might even share some of the same gnarly moves.