Who Am I?

About Me

Hey there! My name is Sophia Kopasakis, and I perform under the stage name Volcanic Lioness. Thank you for taking the time to visit my page. Here’s a little about how I became the artist I am today.

Where It All Started

I grew up dreaming of becoming a professional athlete. In high school, I competed at a high level in long-distance track and cross country, and later transitioned into collegiate rowing. Alongside athletics, I spent over two decades performing Greek folk dance throughout the Greater Cleveland area, rooted deeply in the traditions of my immigrant family from Crete.

These experiences shaped the foundation of my movement—disciplined, rhythmic, and full of cultural pride.

The Realization

Eventually, I felt my body and spirit craving something more. Long-distance athletics and traditional dance gave me structure and discipline, but very little room for creativity or self-expression. The repetitive motions left me feeling disconnected from my own energy. I knew I needed a way to move that allowed my soul to breathe.

The Discovery

Toward the end of college, a friend invited me to a gathering where her partner’s fire troupe would be spinning. I had never witnessed fire performance before and didn’t know what to expect.

The first time I saw someone spinning a contact fire staff, it hit me like lightning. Something inside me recognized it instantly—as if my soul finally saw itself reflected in the world. It was overwhelming. I actually had to look away because the desire to learn it was so immediate and intense. At the time, I was still deeply committed to competitive rowing and didn’t want anything to derail my progress… but the call had already begun.

The Call

A few weeks later, while working at a personal training job, I noticed a Bodybuilding.com magazine on the front desk. The cover read “TRAIN FOR YOUR SPORT”, and beneath the title was an image of a man spinning a fire staff.

That was the moment everything aligned. I knew—without question—that flow artistry was calling me, and I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

My Flow Journey

I began my journey with the contact fire staff, and from there, my obsession with flow arts exploded. Over the years, I’ve trained and performed with a wide range of props, including:

  • Contact fire staff

  • Palm torches

  • Rope dart

  • Dragon staff

  • Battle axe

  • Double speed swords

  • Three-section staff

  • Poi

  • Acro staff

  • Juggling clubs

  • Fans

  • Juggling knives

  • Contact Juggling Balls

Each prop opened a new doorway into expression, strength, storytelling, and embodiment.

My Style

My flow style blends together everything that shaped me:

  • Greek dance — the footwork, rhythm, cultural ancestral energy

  • Athletic discipline — years of training, endurance, and body awareness

  • Martial arts inspiration — the sharp focus, weapon flow, and combative grace

Even with only one year of formal Kung Fu training, martial arts philosophy and movement aesthetics profoundly influence my performance.

As a Greek-American raised deeply in my culture—Greek school, dance groups, youth basketball, church community—my movement carries the spirit of my heritage, my athletic past, and the volcanic fire of my artistic evolution.

Flow arts didn’t just give me a new way to move.

It gave me a way to express my soul.