Sue Samuels (Artistic Director) has established herself as one of the staples of the performing arts community of today. With over 35 years of experience, her expertise is often sought after for staging, mentoring and coaching purposes by professionals and aspiring artists from around the world. Her students have included numerous stage, film, and TV stars including Melba Moore, Brooke Shields, and Irene Cara.
Performance and choreographic credits include lead dance and assistant choreographer in such shows as "Got Tu Go Disco" at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway, "The Johnny Hallyday Show" in Paris, "The Brazil Exports Show" in Rio de Janeiro to name a few. Televised credits include "All My Children," Jerry Lewis Telethon," "Contemporary Women," "The Arthritis Telethon with Melba Moore," "Zoom," and numerous commercials and industrials for Dr. Pepper, 7 Up, Wheat Thins, Head & Shoulders, Adidas, Glaxo, Members Only among others.
Sue Samuels was the co-founder/owner of Jo Jo's Dance Factory in New York City for ten years. Ms. Samuels was also the director of the Jazz Department and founded the Jazz program for Children at the Ft. Lauderdale Ballet in Florida, and ran her own Children's program in Boca Raton for five years. Ms. Samuels was commissioned to teach at New York University in the Cap 21 program with theater majors, as well as Olympic Gymnastics Instructors in Tokyo, Japan. Other teaching credits include The Broward Civic Ballet, Frank Hatchett's Professional Children's Program, Dance Masters Association, and The Dance Company of Haiti. She continues to travel around the world for master classes often held for teachers & instructors. In turn, groups come to study her unique Jazz Style. She has been on teaching faculty at Broadway Center since 1986.
The blending of jazz dance with her classical ballet training makes her style unique. The classical jazz style emphasizes strong and proper body alignment and clean technique by teaching a jazz barre warm-up. She accompanies the floor exercises on Conga drum. Her choreography features the dynamics of musicality and fucuses on creating an overall visual picture. Ms. Samuels training began with the Broward Civic Ballet in Florida where she performed with the company for six years and became the first soloist. She studied in New York with the distinguished Madame Swoboda of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Her jazz training includes JoJo Smith, Frank Hatchett, and Michael Shawn. She studied tap with Judy Bassing, and voice with William Daniel Grey.
For a complete bio, please visit Sue Samuel's webpage on Divine Rhythm Productions.
Purchase Sue's DVD and CD of jazz barre, floor exercises and isolations at Divine Rhythm Productions