The Anahid Sofian Dance Company, formed in 1979, made its professional debut at Carnegie Hall and has performed at a variety of venues including Avery Fisher Hall, the Theatre of Riverside Church, numerous locations in the Downtown Dance Festival, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and for over ten years at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. Specializing in dances of the Near and Middle East, the Company has been acclaimed for its ability to perform in a wide range of styles, from the traditional to contemporary interpretations.

Ms. Sofian's artistic vision integrates elements found in ballet, modern dance and contemporary music in ways that express and broaden the traditional forms without sacrificing their integrity or intrinsic values, making the company’s repertory unique and original. Inspiration is drawn from the rich diversity of Middle Eastern cultures in a wide range of dances, which includes numerous variations on Raqs Sharqi, known in the West as "belly dance,” powerful tribal dances from Morocco, women's dances from Armenia reflecting their lyrical grace and beauty, and interpretations of music by international stars such as Sevara Nazarkhan from Uzbekistan and Niyaz from Iran.

Ms. Sofian has been awarded choreography grants from NYSCA and a residency at the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), where she created dances combining middle eastern dance with ballet, which were featured at a DTH concert at Aaron Davis Hall (CUNY). She also was a choreographer for the 2007 Fringe Festival's John Goldfarb Please Come Home presented at the Skirball Center at NYU. In addition to curating several Middle Eastern Festivals at Town Hall, Ms. Sofian produced two highly-acclaimed off-Broadway shows, Marrakesh: Inside the Magic Circle (BPAC, 2005) and Passage Through Light and Shadows: The Children of Ararat (Theatre of St. Clements Church, 2010).

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