Meet Anthony Sampson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anthony Sampson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Anthony , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from my life experiences and my parents. I’ve always had the mind set of “keep going” no matter what. I watched my mother go to work everyday as a single parent. She never complained and always made a way out of none. There were times my siblings and I went without. My mother simply figured it out and kept her head up. She was bullet proof nothing fazed her. We barely saw her weak. she exemplified strength in any tough situation. My father is who I get my creativity from. He never gave up on his dream as a rapper. As a kid i use to think he’ll keep going hard at it until he was famous or noticed at a high level but as I got older I realized he did it because it made him happy. He faced time in prison frequently and aways came out being him best self. He continued on to create his own label and began to write and produce his own films. Neither one of my parents graduated high school but they showed me you can make something out of yourself. In college I began to learn what it was like to be independent. I had to work and maintain as an adult. if something didn’t work out for me. I worked harder to make it happen because I knew I had mostly myself to rely on. I learned the power of having a “Plan B”. It’s like I’m always prepared for the worst that can happen. It’s important to keep your options and use your resources. My resilience is what got me this far. I understand that life will throw things at you and you just have to be prepared to make something of it. Nothing is easy.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My story starts with me as child watching music videos and mimicking the routines. I was very shy, I enjoyed dancing alone more in my room but I eventually got comfortable and started choreographing. I taught my little sisters and cousins my routines. They enjoyed them, their reactions boosted my confidence. I remember I made up my first full routine to ” Yeah ” by Usher. I taught some friends and my sisters. My sister stole my routine and taught it to the cheer leading team at school. I found it funny but flattering. I then knew dance was a special part of me. I soon joined dance teams in Chicago and gained experience. As a kid I wanted to dance professionally but it wasn’t common I didn’t know to express myself in that way. I lived through dance moves like ” Save the last dance ” and ” Step Up”. My passion for dance was so strong. I always wondered what it’ll be like to be a working dancer. I didn’t know if was a real possibility or just a hobby. My neighborhood was all about sports. I didn’t have the example of a professional dancer in front of me or had anyone pushing my talents. Over the years, my experiences proved to me I was more than a dancer. I was a leader and creative.

I currently operate my own dance company titled Redd’s Angelz Entertainment. As the artistic director I create original dance visuals, book dancers for gigs, offer professional development, trainings. I also implement artist development for artists and video production. The special part of my job is extending opportunities to my dancers and seeing them in their element. We recently celebrated 5 years by hosting our own concert this past May titled ” Encore” This concert showed who we were as a company and the diverse talent we carry. We are preparing for new dance visuals and next showcase.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

As I reflect the three most important skills that helped me in my journey are my organizational skills , problem solving (thinking quickly), and mastering my creative flow whether its choreographing and creating concepts. My advice to my fellow creatives who are early in their journey is to be okay with trail and error. There will be times the final product may not come out the way you planned or things may not align well in the process. Mistakes happen, that doesn’t mean give up. Take notes from each project and improve them in the next one until you find what works for you creatively. Evolution is beautiful be okay with change good or bad because everything is a learning tool to build you for what’s to come.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I’m overwhelmed i take a short pause from the project I’m working on or go back to the choreography a day or so later. I take a day off for a mental rest if I needed. When creating I like to have a clear mind and feel free-flowing. I sometimes journal, listen to music , and work out to release stress. Creating should feel refreshing and exciting not foggy. Honestly, I’m so busy sometimes I’ve become numb to being overwhelmed which is not healthy. However, I’m improving more this year. My advice is to not rush. You want to always put your best foot forward and do everything with quality. Plan out time in your schedule to create. Also, ask for help and talk some creatives who can relate to the issues you’re having.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reddsangelz.com
• Instagram: redd.retro_ and redds.angelz
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonysampson90/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXRDyc70uX653bqcgpkqRFA

Image Credits

Rena Captures