Instructors
Anthony Parks - Owner / Instructor
About
Anthony Parks, owner of Prestige Ballroom of Memphis, is a native Texan. His parents encouraged the natural athleticism in their son through active participation in football, track, basketball and baseball. Dance was most definitely not a family activity.
Anthony did not find the world of ballroom dancing until the age of 23. He came to ballroom with zero dance experience or dance training of any kind.
Anthony enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2001 and is a decorated combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After his Honorable Discharge, Anthony investigated various fitness practices and discovered ballroom dance. Anthony applied the discipline and work ethic gained from his experiences as a Marine and transformed himself into a powerful dancer and an even better instructor.
Always an energetic, natural born performer, Anthony found competition to be the perfect expression of his passion for ballroom dance. Thirteen years later, Anthony is the only Triple Crown Championship Instructor in the Memphis area.
Anthony loves Ballroom dancing! He believes dance transcends all barriers and allows the creation of amazing moments for the dancers and wonderful visions for the audience. In the course of 13 years of dancing, Anthony has been a conduit and witness to the wondrous positive changes ballroom dancing can work in a student’s life. Anthony yearns to share his love of ballroom dancing with everyone.
regardless of ability, age, race, religion, color, gender, or sexual orientation.
Anthony currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee, his hometown for the past 11 years. He loves Memphis for its diversity and the bounty of experiences it can provide. He is eager to be a part of the local Memphis businesses scene and to support other Memphis area businesses.
His 13 years of ballroom experience in teaching, learning, performing and competing put students in good and capable hands when they sign up for lessons with Prestige Ballroom.
“Ballroom dancing is unlike anything out there, it can change you and how you see yourself forever” Anthony Parks
“If you can walk down the street, you can ballroom dance” Anthony Parks
Sophia Blunt - Owner
About
Sophia Blunt grew up dancing ballet tap and jazz in a small town in Idaho at a studio called Footlight Dance.Starting dance at the age of 4 and continuing through her school years. She continued her dance education while in college at Murray State University and was co president of the Murray dance company in 2012-2013. She has always loved to dance and is overjoyed that ballroom is available for adults. She first experienced ballrom dancing in New Jersrey at a studio called Ballroom Magic and has been hooked ever since. She eventually found her way to Memphis and began taking more lessons at DanceSmiths dance studio.
She and Anthony met at another local dance studio and immediate chemistry was noticed and they began dancing together and later became a professional dance couple.
Sophia has a bachelors of science in nursing and splits time between the medical world and dance world.
Frances - Instructor
About
A native Memphian, Frances Hord grew up dancing from an early age. She trained in ballet, flamenco, and modern dance at New Ballet Ensemble and School. Upon graduation from high school at St. Mary's Episcopal School, she earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Dance Performance and Choreography at the University of South Carolina. There, she received rigorous dance training from a former New York City Ballet soloist, a former Boston Ballet principal dancer, and former Alonzo King LINES Ballet dancers, among others. She performed in various productions at USC including multiple stagings of Balanchine works, while striving for academic success in the classroom, maintaining a leadership role in a campus ministry, and even choreographing her own work. Since graduating in May of 2016, Frances has performed professionally, taught various levels, and worked as a dance administrator. She has been trained in American Smooth & American Rhythm styles by Benji Smith and other nationally acclaimed dance professionals. Frances loves dance and sharing that joy with others in the studio.