Samantha Atkinson is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Dance. She has trained since she was 3 years old, and has been able to focus primarily on the styles of ballet, contemporary, jazz, and modern. Her training as a dance major in college allowed her to gain a more well-rounded education in many styles of dance.

At UA, she had the opportunity to perform in works by Qianping Guo, Rita Snyder, Jamorris Rivers, and various student-choreographed works. She was able to perform Aurora’s Act III Wedding Variation from Sleeping Beauty, staged by Rita Snyder. Additionally, she got to perform as a demo-soloist in the ballet “Inspiration,” choreographed and staged by Eldar Aliev, the artistic director of the Mariinsky Ballet Theatre.

Samantha also got to explore creation and choreography through her time at Alabama, and was able to choreograph several pieces in various styles including ballet, contemporary, and jazz, for performances at the University of Alabama. One of her pieces, titled “Gestalt,” was adjudicated and selected to be performed in the New Works Concert at the Alabama Dance Theatre. Samantha is grateful for the experiences she has gained so far, and she is so excited to share the love of dance with young dancers!