We recently connected with Samantha Hope Galler and have shared our conversation below.
Samantha Hope , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Throughout my 15 year professional dance career, I built my confidence by staying resilient and trusting myself. I learned the hard way that presenting with low self-esteem limited my overall experiences in dance and limited my opportunities. As an artist, we must stay innovative and remain committed to growing artistically. I learned that confidence and an increase in self-esteem allowed me to perform fully and without limitations.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My full-time job is pretty amazing. As a Principal Dancer with the Miami City Ballet, I perform in and around South Florida nearly 70 times per year for a variety of audiences. I am originally from outside of Boston, Massachusetts, but have been in the South for nearly 15 years. I was previously dancing with the Alabama Ballet for five seasons before joining Miami City Ballet in 2014 as part of the corps de ballet. My day consists of ballet class in the morning followed by six hours of rehearsals ranging from classical ballet works to modern works.
My job is unique and special because it strives to preserve, modernize, and grow the field of dance so it can remain a mainstream artform or art education choice for the next generation of students and for surrounding communities.
I am passionate about mentoring future professionals in the field of dance to help them transition outside student life and allow for an easier entry way to their careers. In 2018, I founded the Miami City Ballet School Mentorship Program Series which presents students an opportunity to hear from myself and other current professionals at Miami City Ballet on their careers and how they found their way in dance. Topics are related to professionalism, handling rejection, etiquette, and auditions and overall we strive for progress not perfection. I hope to make some small difference in the students lives, if any, and inspire confidence in asking questions and learning from the professionals around them. I am grateful to have the opportunity to share what can be shared throughout the year.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
As a ballet student, growing up outside Boston, I primarily trained in the Cecchetti Method, or the Italian method of ballet, under an expert in the method. When I reached the age of 14, I began receiving additional training which exposed me to a variety of ballet methods. Receiving training in multiple methods of ballet allowed me to remain moldable and gave me the skills to adapt and understand the body in different ways. This proved to be an excellent skill as I entered my professional career.
I also remained committed to my education once I entered my first job as a ballet dancer. Continuing your education is important to consider when auditioning or once you begin your dance career. There are several online programs you can attend while dancing and will make for a valued skill once you decide to move on from dance to your next chapter.
For ballet students early on in there journey, wishing to become a professional, I recommend studying under the best teacher you can find and not being enticed by the name of the ballet school. It is important that when you are young and shaping your knowledge and find strength in the training on your body, you are working with the right coach. Then when you are at an age where your training is in a good place, you can begin exposing yourself to various techniques when you are able to understand them. This is just my opinion based on my experience!
With deep gratitude to my parents, I learned what work ethic truly was. Without them, I truly would not have had the career I have and I cannot thank them enough.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Self-advocacy has been a struggle of mine ever since I began training as a ballet student. We are committing ourselves, just as any student might be, to strive for perfection. With perfection there is sacrifice and the willingness to not speak up when it is necessary. This could be in the smallest way, but it makes a difference when are able to say no something or even just take time to think about a situation and get back to it at a later point. I feel that over the last year or so, I have made improvements to self-advocate for myself when I know it is the right thing rather than putting myself or my health second.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.samanthagaller.com
- Instagram: lifeisadebut
- Linkedin: Samantha Hope Galler
Image Credits
Credit: Jonathan Taylor Photography www.jontaylornyc.com Credit: Alexander Iziliaev – Miami City Ballet: Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room Credit: Daniel Azoulay – Miami City Ballet: George Balanchine’s Serenade and Jerome Robbins Antique Epigraphs Credit: Danny Cardozo – Aventura Mall iAM a Culture Icon Campaign
