Introducing our October teacher feature, Samantha Rutter!
Samantha Rutter
Class Sammie teaches:
DSL Adult Community Street Crew / Thursdays 7:15-8:15pm
What is your dance background?
I started dancing at the age of three and danced competitively throughout my childhood. I went on to studying Performing Arts at Thomas Danby College and complete a BA Hons in Dance at Kingston University in 2011 where my true passion for urban and afro dance styles started. After working as part of the Entertainment Crew in a 5* hotel in Egypt and on completion of my PGCE I began working full time as the urban dance specialist at Leeds City College, where I teach BTEC level 2 & 3 Dance and Musical Theatre. As well as teaching the Adult Hiphop Community class here at DSL, i’m also the choreographer and artistic director of an a 80+ student crew called Explosive. Some of Explosive’s credits include Breakin’ Convention UK Tour, AoC Opening Ceremony, Move It Main Stage and Leeds Carnival. I am still very active in continuing my development in dance and have trained in Amsterdam (Tiwall Festival) and Croatia (BeatCamp) learning from global choreographers and have just began studying my MA in Dance & Creative Enterprise at NSCD.
What is your favourite style and why?
I appreciate watching all forms of dance but enjoy dancing cultural and urban dance styles the most! If I had to choose a specific favourite I think it would have to be would be 90s hiphop, as I just love the era! The trends, the music, the fashion from the 90s all had such a huge impact to me during my upbringing so it still influences a lot of what I do today.
If you weren’t a dancer what would you be?
Ooo tough question….I love CSI and a good murder mystery so maybe an investigator or something! To be honest I can’t imagine myself not being a dancer but I have an interest in events management so I’d probably be an organiser of some form of dance event.
Cover Photo – David Lindsay