Choreography
Zoe began her Choreographic career in 2013 as a company artist in the San Diego Ballet's debute choreographer's showcase, "Dance Gallery." Her first piece titled " Just a Thought" was met with praise and recognition, sparking the confidence to pursue choreography as an additional artistic outlet to her career as a professional ballerina.
Since 2013 Zoe has created over 20 original works, choreographed on multiple companies and presented at many dance festivals.
Zoe sees each piece as a moving picture and is involved in every aspect of being her vision to the stage. This often includes costume design and construction, music composition and lighting direction.
Zoe is currently accepting choreographic commissions from dance companies and schools.
Dance
Zoe entered the ballet world at what is generally considered a late age at 11 years old. After leaving her first class she already knew this was what she had to do with her life.
Zoe received the core of her ballet training at the San Francisco Ballet School and the Academy of Ballet in San Francisco. She studied under such notable instructors as: Gloria Govrin, Lola de Avila, Helgi Tomasson, Pascale Leroy, Parrish Maynard, Shannon Bresnahan, Jean- Yves Esquerre, Richard Gibson, Zory Karah, Jorge Esquivel, Jeffrey Lyons, Tina Fehlandt, Amy Raymond, Richard Gibson and Zory Karah.
She attended summer intensive programs at American Ballet Theater: New York and Orange County, San Francisco Ballet School and Boston Ballet As a professional she continued her contemporary, improvisational and modern education at the Henny Jurriens Foundation in Amsterdam.
Zoe has worked professionally with the San Diego Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Twin Ballet of Minnesota, Elle Vie Dance Company and the Osage Ballet as well as in other freelance performances as a guest artist.
Zoe joined the San Diego Ballet in 2011 and throughout her more than 13 years with the company performed mainly in Principal roles. During her time with the San Diego Ballet Zoe has been featured in such roles as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in the Nutcracker, Lady Capulet in Romeo et Juliet, Queen Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kaa the Snake in the Jungle Book, the Dying Swan in the Carnival of the Animals and the Princess in The Firebird. Zoe performed in principal roles in Artistic Director, Javier Velasco's Afternoon of a Faun, Don Juan, Alice in Wonderland, Mambomania, When a Man Loves a Woman, Sweet Synergy Suite with Jazz legend, Charles McPherson and the televised KPBS Local Hero Awards in 2012. In recent years Zoe also performed in the Salute to Vienna at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and in the West Coast premier of Sir Robert Cohan’s Stabat Mater.
During her time with the Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota Zoe originated the principal roles of Lucy in Narnia: The Ballet and Princess Clara in the Nutcracker. Zoe is an original cast member of Wazhazhe: an Osage Ballet and Principal Dancer with the Osage Ballet. Since 2012, she has toured extensively with the company, including to the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, the Sesquicentennial Celebration in Pawhuska, Oklahoma and at the Festival of Families in honor of Pope Francis at his visit to the United States in 2015.
Dance Educator / Private Coach
Zoe began teaching ballet in 2010 in San Francisco and her skills as a thoughtful and expert instructor have been in demand ever since.
Zoe teaches group and private classes for all ages and levels- from creative movement to adult ballet.
Her private coaching lessons are focused on the individual dancer's needs and aspirations and she has helped many students refine their technique and artistry over the years. Her clientele has included ballet dancers, ice skaters and ballroom dancers. She has been a guest teacher internationally and conducts master classes as well as pas de deux workshops.
Zoe has set ed as the Education and outreach manager for the San Diego Ballet for over 5 years, sheparding the program through the COVID shut down and implemented the Zoom outreach program which welcomed over 100 participants weekly from every habited continent around the world.
Zoe also co directs the San Diego Ballet Pre Professional Summer Intensive. This rigorous camp is often a young dancers first taste of a professional schedule and alumni of the program have been selected every year for trainee and company positions with the San Diego Ballet.
Zoe is currently accepting new students for private and small group classes online and in the San Diego area.
Testimonial by a private student parent:
"We have been getting classes remotely since for over 5 years now. My two girls love the classes. They love Zoe and appreciate her enthusiasm and patience. Finding such an encouraging environment to learn ballet is so hard - Zoe provides this for us and more! The classes have transformed our ability to excel in dance and other sports. Thank you Zoe for being an amazing teacher, always so flexible and a great communicator."
Class Rates
- 1hr Zoom class: $70
- 1hr private in person at the SDB studios in Liberty Station: $110
- 1hr private or semi-private in person at studio booked by student: $80
In-studio private pricing can be divided when more than one student is present.
Actor
Zoe Marinello-Kohn is a professional actor with credits in both live performance and film. She was drawn into the world of immersive theater in 2016 when she portrayed the character Scary Mary in the haunt production Dark Harbor aboard the famous Queen Mary. Ever since that season she specialized mainly in immersion theater becoming a member of the American Immersion Theater, Murder Mystery Company for five years. In 2020 she joined the Zoom Murder Mystery Company and continued her performing online throughout the pandemic.
During her tenure with the company she played many leading roles and fell even more in love with the genre which utilizes both scripted and improvised elements as well as audience participation.
Zoe also enjoyed working with the Princess Party Company and played the characters Belle and Elsa in interactive private events for kids.
San Diego Comic Con International is a world famous yearly event bringing the elite of the entertainment world to San Diego. Zoe has had the privilege of acting in several live immersive activations as part of Comic Con including productions of Carnival Row, House of the Dragon and NBC's the Voice.
Art
Zoe has been an artist for as long as she can remember, refining her skills with her Waldorf education and making the transition seemlesly from amateur to professional in the local shops and cafes of San Francisco. Her work ranges from realistic portraiture to abstract compositions which often feature bright colors and flowing images. Zoe has participated in many art shows and gallery displays as well as taken commissions for paintings.
Zoe is currently taking commissions for paintings of all sizes and looks forward to presenting you with the perfect piece for your home or workspace.
Synesthesia
Zoe is a poly synesthete with over 20 realized synesthetic connections. Since she found that she possessed this neurodivergence she has been harnessing this gift as an inspiration for her art and has based many choreograph and fine art works on her experiences.
She has worked extensive ly with the nonprofit Journey Through The Senses, participating in the Synesthesia Dance Experience in loss Angeles in 2017, co directing, choreograph and performing in the Piano.and Ballet with Scetkana Rudenko in Greystones Ireland 2022 and Directing, Choreograph, designing and performing in Mind. Body . Connections. In San Diego in 2023. She continues to work with JTTS as a contributing writer for their online magazine and has a screen dance project in the works for 2026.
Zoe is a known outspoken member of the synesthesia community and works to create acceptance and awareness for neurodivergence worldwide.
Article: Dancing Through Watercolor (JTTS)
Accepting clients for sensory, color, and neurodivergence consulting.
Screen Dance
In the summer of 2020 Zoe turned to screen dance to further her artistic expression as a result of the global pandemic and theater closings. She directs, choreographs and edits in addition to integrating her other forms of art into her films. Her screendances have been recognized internationally.