life - breath - soul
SAMANTHA BERGER
Dancer & Choreographer in Breath
Secretary
Samantha Berger is a senior at Elon University from Westfield, NJ. Samantha is pursuing her BFA in Performance and Choreography and BA in Arts Administration with minors in Business Administration and Professional Sales. Prior to Elon, she trained at the Academy for Performing Arts. At Elon, she has performed in numerous main stage productions including Dancing in the Landscapes, Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, and many student works. Last spring, Samantha studied abroad in Florence, Italy, and continued her dance training at Florence Dance Center. She has also had the opportunity to intern with New York Live Arts, home of the Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Company.
A Note from the Artist:
I believe the world is a big, complicated, wonderful dance that choreographers are lucky enough to witness. I watch people who unknowingly are dancing and it inspires the movement I produce. Inspiration stems from human interactions. The way people communicate with one another is fascinating. The way we breathe, the way we speak, the way we hold ourselves are all part of this communication. I am drawn to this experience and the movement that comes from it. It helps me process the events that occur within my own life. I believe if I can pull from the human experience specifically my own experiences I can create art that is meaningful. Art that is meaningful comes from when people connect to the work. People want to feel connected whether it is to each other, their surroundings or even to themselves. We need connections to exist. The connection I have with dance has brought me to where I am today.
When I began dance classes at the age of five, I cried. I remember being so scared of dance. I would put up a fight and my mother would have to stand in the waiting room the entire time I was in class or I would refuse to dance. But at the end of the hour, I would walk out of class with the biggest smile on my face and the following week I would cry all over again. That first year of dance, the teachers placed me right at the very end of the stage because they feared I would cry and run off. I did not. I performed my little tap number with the biggest smile and the most attitude a five year old could have. I never cried going into dance again. Performing allowed me to connect with an audience and connect with dance. At five years old, I was clueless to this fact, all I knew was I was not afraid anymore. The connection I formed became the building blocks for what would be the beautiful relationship I have with dance today.