SAMANTHA SCHLEESE
Samantha Schleese is a Toronto based, professional dance artist trained in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, Salsa, Latin, and even American Ballroom Styles. With over 15 years of dance experience, Samantha is not only an avid dancer in the community but also teaches and choreographs works across Canada and throughout the GTA.
Samantha has danced and toured throughout the UK with MAP Dance Company. There, she has worked under such artists as Saju Hari, Kiera Martin, Detta Howe, Yael Flexor, Lila Dance, Matteo Fargion and the late great Nigel Charnock (DV8). During her tour, Samantha completed her Masters in Performance Dance specializing in Contemporary dance. Samantha has also completed BFA in Dance from York University alongside dancing with the YorkU Hip Hop Team Stylewize (Lineen Doung).
Upon her return to Toronto, Samantha is now a part of an all female Hip Hop crew DEUCEnDIP. With the crew, Samantha has danced for events such as Pride, Unity, Unplugged and Canada’s Walk of Fame Festivals, WEDAY, Bazaar, and TeenzFav Music Awards and much more. Other credits include, Samsung, Mirror Awards (Lenny Len), Rusk Hair Show (Edz Gyamfi), Bud light Sensation Concert (Rogers Centre, Shawn Bracke), IOGO, and CP24 Breakfast Television (Ryan Scheel). She also made appearances in music videos by WEDAY “We Turn it Up,” Craig Stickland “Be My Queen”, Mustiboy “Caro”, and The Airplane Boys “Some Say”. Samantha has also recently performed at the Harbourfront Centre working under Bageshree Vase in a fusion piece of Kathak, Contemporary and Hip Hop titled, “Paratopia.”
Samantha continues to work and train to establish her craft specializing in Hip Hop and Contemporary dance. Samantha also works with ABS crew training in Gymnastics and performing a fusion of Circus and Hip Hop performances from time to time. Samantha has recently established her own Contemporary dance company fusing her versatile background in collaboration with Melissa Hart. They will be premiering their first show this coming October at DanceMakers.