Meet the Ignite Dance Competition Team

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A small-town girl with big city dreams, Samaria began dancing at the age of six in Dothan, Alabama. She has trained and performed in most styles of dance ranging from classical ballet to hip hop. After much success on the competition circuit, Samaria traveled to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer. Since her move, she has worked with renowned choreographers including Brian Friedman, Parris Goebel, Jaquel Knight, and Chris Grant. She performed live for the Atlanta Falcons Halftime Show, E-40, and was cast in the Hip Hop Wizard of Oz. Also, Samaria travelled with Mila J as a dancer on The Waiting Game European Tour. She has made several appearances in seasons 9 and 10 of the hit Fox TV show ​So You Think You Can Dance, ​and was cast as a main dancer on Nigel Lythgoe’s online dance show ​Every Single Step​ airing exclusively on Go90. You can also find Samaria dancing

in Justin Bieber’s deeply impactful music video ​Purpose​. For the release of the album ​NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES​, she performed with N.E.R.D., at ComplexCon, one of L.A.’s largest culture festivals. Samaria has also been spotted dancing in the world’s first ever live movie commercial for The Greatest Showman on FOX.

In 2018, she danced alongside Beyoncé in her history making, radically-charged performance at the Coachella Music Festival, which is now a Grammy winning Netflix film called ​HOMECOMING: A Film by Beyoncé​. Samaria has had the experience of assisting in the creation of choreography for So You Think You Can Dance, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Fashion Week, and muchmore. She has been seen dancing with the Jonas Brothers on The Late Late Show with James Corden for the release of Sucker. Most recently, Samaria has been traveling as a master teacher and choreographer.

Michael began his instruction in South Texas. After realizing his passion for the art form, he decided to broaden his training. He continued his training in Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop and Modern techniques where he also traveled around Texas working with different Master Teachers, including Joe Tremaine, Gus Giordano, Laurie Johnson, and many others. Finally realizing the importance of a solid background in Ballet he began his training at a late age of 14. He had the luxury of working with numerous instructors including Prima Ballerina Absolut Galina Mezentseva of the Kirov Ballet, Alex Ossadnick of Ballet Bordeaux (current Ballet Master of Ballet Idaho), Michael and Olga Wise of Moscow Classical, and Willie Shives of Joffrey Ballet. He then performed with The Rio Grande Valley Ballet (RGVB) portraying lead roles in different classical and contemporary ballets traveling and touring within the state of Texas. It was with the RGVB that he had the pleasure of sharing the stage with principals of the Joffrey Ballet as well as dance and partner in Carnival of the Animals with Prima Ballerina Absolut Galina Mezantseva.

Realizing the investment of dance, he decided to try out teaching at the early age of 15 with students ranging from 4-50 years of age in classes of Ballet, tap, jazz and modern. Choreographing for both local performances for studios along with choreographies for competition pieces in YAGP, Co Dance, Dance Masters of America and Tremaine, where he has received different awards including Best Choreography and Most Original. Along with competitions, he has had the privilege of working with local artist in TX with music videos, live concerts, musicals and plays. Relocating to Charleston, SC in 2009, Michael continued his training with the late Robert Ivey at the Robert Ivey Ballet. He became a soloist for the company including roles in Hunchback of Notre Dame, Romeo & Juliet, and Scherezade. As an instructor for the school, Michael worked with dancers of all ages in Modern and Ballet technique along with becoming a rehearsal master for the company. It was in 2012 that Michael became acquainted with Jill Bahr at the Charleston Ballet Theatre, in which he became a regular in her productions including Alice in Wonderland, Nutcracker, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Happily Ever after, and Chim Chim Cheree. With Charleston Ballet and Coastal Ballet USA he has become an instructor in their pre-pro program, school and summer intensives.

Michael continues to travel as a guest artist/performer for Florida Ballet, Heartland Youth Ballet, and Rio Grande Valley Ballet. As an active member of DMA, he is a sought-out instructor and adjudicator for Dance Masters of America National and its affiliated chapters. He had the pleasure of working with Ignite this past summer during their Virtual series and is very excited for their first competitive season.

Samantha Reynolds is a professional dancer, choreographer, and teacher originating from Northern Kentucky. She began her training at just three years old and started competing at the age of nine. Samantha is well versed and trained in Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Tap, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Jazz Funk. After years as a competitive dancer, Samantha went on to receive a scholarship to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Northern Kentucky University. During that time, she trained and performed under Tracey Bonner, Jay Goodlett, Heather Britt, Dee Anne Bryll, and Renee McCafferty. Samantha was a member of NKU’s touring Dance Troupe, served as assistant choreographer for the Theatre Department musical productions, and had the pleasure of training with the Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company.

Upon graduation, Samantha became a company dancer for Exhale Dance Tribe based in Cincinnati, Ohio under the direction of Missy Lay Zimmer and Andrew Hubbard. She then moved to Los Angeles, California to train under the watchful eye of Shannon Mather at Mather Dance Company. Samantha became an instructor for Mather Dance Company, and an online assistant for Shannon Mather and Brianna Suakjian. During her time in California Samantha had the pleasure of teaching at Fusion Dance Center and being an adjudicator for High School Dance Teams. Working at Millennium Dance Complex-LA was one of Samantha’s favorite experiences which led to her true love for the Commercial Dance. Samantha had the pleasure of getting to take class and train with Dana Alexa, Nico O'Connor, Kyle Hanagami, and many other industry professionals.

Some of Samantha's professional credits include the “First Position” book commercial, VIRAL The Musical-Preview video, Doterra Film Projects, YouTube film spots for Millennium Dance Complex, ONYX Avenue promo video, local news spots promoting dance and fitness, and many other on stage performances with Exhale Dance Tribe. While she loves performing, Samantha’s biggest passion lies in choreography, teaching, and inspiring the next generation of dancers. She loves traveling and inspiring dancers all over the country. Her pieces have earned high remarks and choreography awards throughout the competitive dance circuit. She is thrilled to be working with Ignite this seasonand looks forward to watching all of the dancers shine on stage.

Becca Robinson has been passionately dancing since the young age of 2. Growing up in San Diego, CA she made her way to the east coast to train at Broadway Dance Center for the Professional Semester Program in 2015. Upon moving to NYC, she is signed with MSA Talent Agency in NYC and in LA. Becca has performed in the VMA’s with Taylor Swift, High School Musical, Chloe Flower, The Macy’s Day Parade, and can be seen in hit films such as: “Isn’t It Romantic” and “In The Heights”. Becca has had the opportunity to work with brands such as Puma, MembersOnly, Degree, and Universal Standard. Over the past few years, Becca has consistently performed for shows that include: “The Soul Spot”, “DayDreamers”, and “Blooming”.

Along with dancing, Becca has taught and choreographed for numerous artists and studios across the country. Her most recent work can be seen on “Get Out The Vote”; a social media campaign, which aired late last year. Her most recent collaborative work is being created with Bo Park on Virgin Voyages: Scarlet Lady for the new immersive dance show: “Scarlet Night”. Becca has continued to push through boundaries and has recently created “IM-PROOF”. An intensive that is dedicated to unlocking artist's potential and focusing on the “unlearning” process of the industry. Becca is so excited to be part of the Ignite team and can’t wait to share the dance floor with you.

Kamali Hill is an ​independent dance artist creating work that manifests thought-provoking conversations concerning Black culture. Her work has been commissioned and presented by Dissonance Dance Theater (District of Columbia), The Center for Civil and Human Rights (Atlanta), Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Sans Limites Danse (New York City), and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater (Chicago). She has also had the opportunity to collaborate on interdisciplinary works with Fuerta Dance Company (Atlanta), Okwae A. Miller and Artists (Atlanta), Alan Kimara Dixon (Atlanta), Corian Ellisor and Dancers (Atlanta), T. Lang Dance (Atlanta), and Otis Sallid (Atlanta).

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a Master of Fine Arts in Dance candidate at Texas Woman’s University. Her current research explores African diasporic movement practices to facilitate community engagement through collaborative dance-making.

Meredith is the daughter of a drama and dance teacher. Growing up in the arts gave her a versatile background that allowed her opportunities from owning a studio to running a theater company while living in the United Kingdom. A choreographer, business coach, and instructor she holds degrees and certificates in art humanities, photography, theater, and dance. She is a strong supporter of community outreach and service, Meredith was awarded the Wal-Mart Community Playmakers Award in 2017 for her work with her non-profit dance company in Delaware. In 2019, she was awarded the National Dance Society’s Ovation Award and ACHI Magazine’s Choreographer of the Year. Currently she teaches in South Carolina, and choreographs for dancers nationwide.

Dana grew up in Sumter, South Carolina where she began dancing at the age of two. She received training in various styles from some of the top choreographers and teacher in the industry. Dana attended Winthrop University and received her Bachelors of Science with a minor in Dance. While at Winthrop, Dana was chosen as captain of the Garnet Girls dance team. While finishing up her senior year of college, she was also able to cheer professionally for the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. Dana’s current serves as Artistic Director, choreographer, and instructor for a top studio in South Carolina. She also travels and teaches master classes, and does guest choreography for many studios across the US. She has completed Dance Teacher Certification from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and enjoys sharing her passion and love for dance.

Josh Zacher is an NYC based dancer, actor, teacher, writer, and choreographer. A proud native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Josh holds a BFA in Drama with Honors from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and is a graduate of both the Broadway Dance Center Summer Professional Semester and the University of Michigan Summer Dance Institute.

As a performer, Josh played Larry in the national and international tour of ​A Chorus Line, ​which included a sold-out run in Tokyo. Josh was also in the world premiere cast of the musical version of the beloved children’s book ​The Elf on the Shelf. ​Josh has appeared as Baby John in various productions of ​West Side Story ​all over the country. His other favorite performance credits include ​Newsies ​(Henry, Spot Conlon)​, Young Frankenstein ​(Telegraph Boy), ​The Music Man (Tommy Djilas), ​Peter Pan ​(Slightly), ​The Little Mermaid ​(Jetsam), and ​The Wizard of Oz (Nikko). On camera, Josh can be seen on the NBC series ​Rise ​as well as MTV’s ​TRL, Live! With Regis and Kelly, ​and ​Dance Moms.​ His latest film project, an independent film titled Interabled​, is due to release in Spring 2021. Josh is also a founding company member of American Musical Theatre Dance Company, which debuted in Beijing, China.

Josh is a teaching assistant at Ballet Tech, The New York City Public School for Dance in Manhattan, NY and also teaches and choreographs for Man in Motion, a network of male dance teachers delivering excellence in dance education to the tri-state area and beyond.

Jessica Seawell is a nationally acclaimed and award-winning dance educator, choreographer, and adjudicator with over twenty years of professional dance training and experience. Training under the industry’s most reputable dance educators and choreographers in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theater, Modern, Lyrical, Contemporary and Hip Hop, Jessica has successfully received numerous scholarships and recognition at competitions, conventions, and workshops in Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles.

Jessica had the honor to perform in numerous opening and closing ceremonies held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (previously known as The Georgia Dome) and was chosen to perform in the 2013 nationally televised Disney Christmas Day Parade hosted by ABC Family featuring guest star Neil Patrick Harris. In 2013, Jessica was selected to join the Radio City Rockettes in performing the “World’s Largest Circular Kickline” for the 2013 Guinness Book of World Records.

Into her professional career, Jessica knew she wanted to provide dancers with endless opportunities to further their training and achieve their goals. Jessica wrote an accredited Performing Arts in Education curriculum that she used while going into county schools and teaching children various performing arts genres. By the age of 21, Jessica was the assistant director of an award winning pre-professional competitive dance academy. Jessica resides in Atlanta, Georgia where she teaches at an established dance academy, travels setting choreography and teaching master classes. On her days off, Jessica enjoys spending time with family and friends, lending a helping hand and a good shopping trip.

Lindsay Giedl is a choreographer, teacher, and dancer currently working in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a graduate of The University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and has studied with Lisa Fusillo, Colleen Barnes, Elizabeth Osborne-Kibbe, and Chris Coates-Mitchell. She was a founding member of CADE:NCE - Contemporary African Dance Ensemble: New Conscious Explorations under the direction of Tamara Thomas. Lindsay danced at the Rex Nettleford Arts Conference in Kingston, Jamaica, and DANCE Africa in Brooklyn NY as well as presented her choreography at the American College Dance Association Conference. She can also be seen in the indie film “The Last of Robin Hood”, “Honey 4” as well as Corey Smith’s music video “Honky Tonkin’ in My Blood”.

Lindsay danced with The Modern Pin Ups Dance Company from 2012 to 2018 and resided as the Company Director for the Apprentice Company for the 2017 – 2018 season. In 2017, she created the professional company Linds&Co., as a branch-off of her undergraduate thesis project – creating works with post-modern socio-political contemporary and improvisational movement. Lindsay is also one of the Co-Founders of Counterpoint Dance Company residing at The University of Georgia and served as the Artistic Director from 2015 to 2018.

Lindsay’s work was recently accepted for the PANDEMIC ATLANTA Choreographer search with the City of Atlanta – Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and was selected to present new work for the Fall for Fall Dance Festival, a new socially distanced dance festival. Lindsay is also the 2020-2021 recipient of the Kristel Rose Tedesco Residency with Mathematics-in-Motion.

Lindsay is also in her fifth year working with the Joffrey Ballet School. She is currently the Administrative Director and Faculty Member of the Joffrey Ballet School Summer Programs for Joffrey South and Joffrey Colorado Springs.