Who Is Samantha?
Over Time
Over time, what has called me is movement, without and within. I am intrigued by new ways to cover space. Thiscan be the space of a blank page, a Yoga studio, a dance floor, a relationship, a breath. They are journeys into the unknown, bringing me face to face with Self. No matter how different these paths appear on the surface, they are surprisingly similar. They carry me across, and into deep waters, offering, sustenance, surprise, danger, joy, Grace, regeneration, expression, livelihood, intrigue, redemption.
I danced as a child. At 16, I danced underwater with Dolphins, as a Seamaid at Sea World, San Diego. I traveled overseas, modeling in San Sebastian, Spain at 19, followed by University of Madrid. Travels & travails as a dancer, NYC & Sun Valley, ID. MA at UCLA in choreography. Dancer, teacher, & choreographer of concerts and musicals. Owner of a LA catering company. Marriage to a wizard. Professional Astrologer. Writer. Yoga instructor. Acting head of dance Wellesley College. Creator of Shakti Dance.
I hear songs within my breath
Long soaring tones
notes of clarity and width,
might I become Garuda, the great bird?
Whose chorus aligns
To the lift and rush of wings.
Across the Blank Page
As an author, I’ve written two novels, one of which is in revisions for submission, (opening excerpt below,) many poems, a small book, “Daily Breath Journal,” selected from the five years of weekly ‘Breaths,’ sent to over six hundred readers. The prose and poetry are informed from a life of walking outside the lines, as servant to an un-tamable muse. I have been seduced by Hafiz, Kabir, Lorca, Machado, Mary Oliver, Rilke, Rumi, Tagore, Whyte, and wonderful, countless others.
“What wise, and timeless gems you have shared with all of us. It has been a true honor reading them. You/your writing has the rare ability to inspire and resonate with any and all people. Your words have offered me a space to be more introspective, insightful and self-loving. I cannot thank you enough for this. What poignant support you provide. Can’t find anything out there like this. Please write a book!”
Libby King MacFarlane
Associate – Infosys Consulting SF, CA
Wellesley College ’08
Opening paragraph from “Thrown From Paradise” by Samantha Cameron
Makes me crazy you know. Makes me twist and shout. It slams me out against the sky, and brings on mean indigo with sounds of Pa’s ‘ol Coon dog catching scent of a wolf. Devotion is crazy-making. Only ask me to dance with a high-back, hipless, tight butt gal in a red satin dress n’ floppy mules doing her hootchie-kootchie thing. Hell, if I want devotion I’ll get me a dog. No. Give me a panther-gal every time. One with black, cool skin, overblown red lips, like them Peony bushes too heavy to keep their heads up, and sass so high she cut me up the middle then sashay off, turning one last time to kick me good. Yessir, I’m a happy man. Don’t give me no emotion-devotion. Give me boogie woogie Blues n’ a loosey-goosey, long legged sweet thing who slides around on bass notes. Devotion, it turns on a man, expecting everything, then waits until eternity to get it. Sad is what I calls it, sad with no Redeemer in sight. No songs, no jukin’ time, just time out, or the worst time, slammer time. You do it ‘cause you gots to. Devotion stands so close it pushes words back down the gullet.
FACE TO FACE
Under the staggering gaze of a full moon,
Her face the face I love
Reveals cold weight of winter
Illuminating purple snow
And hills where geese wait.
Her round largess at the horizon
Sets off shrill squawking
Silhouettes rise across her redolence.
Do angels fly on such nights?
Lovely as swans— white on white,
Unseen, except as reflection.
After the hill, the geese, the angels,
We stare face to face
She turns not from my scarring,
The beauty-less form I shadow.
Her white breath softens my face
Her frozen light caresses my hair
Daring me to reveal more.
On the Mat
Because Yoga has helped heal and transform many aspects of my life, I love sharing it, for the charismatic exchange between student and instructor is a celebratory two way street. My Yoga background, infused by dance, makes Vinyasa Flow the primary technique, though I bow to others, appreciating the differences.
2010 marked ten years instructing Yoga, a 200 hour RYT from Yoga Alliance, the unfolding of the 500 hour certification, along with a plethora of intriguing workshops from insightful instructors. Because of a wide diversity in past experience, I bring unique combinations of physical, emotional, and spiritual self-care onto the mat. My classes are physically demanding, spiritually expressive opportunities. They afford safe space for self-discovery. Classes are tuned to seasonal needs from knowledge and use of Astrology & Ayurveda. I include the exploration of: chant, mudra, Pranayama, and poetry to open to deeper levels. There is lovely self-acceptance and celebration shared in all the classes.
CLICK HERE for a class schedule >>>
Education-Yoga
200 Hour Certification with Yoga Alliance. RYT. (symbol here)
40 hour Teacher Training in Vinyasa Flow with Shiva Rea
40 hour Teacher Training on Pranayama with Yoganand Michael Carroll
Series of master classes with Natasha Rizopoulos and Barbara Benagh
Yin Yoga with Paul Grilley
Forrest Yoga with Ana Forrest
I offer gratitude to the many amazing people who have guided my practice over the years, especially my students who continue to be my greatest teachers.
Teachers who have inspired me at different times include: Aadil Palkhivala Ana Forrest, Barbara Benagh, Natasha Rizopoulos, Paul Grilley, Renata Loree. Shiva Rea, Tias Little, Yoganand Michael Carroll.
(dance photo of WCD)
From The Dance Floor
From the dance floor came acceptance and healing. As a child, it was easier to move than to speak. I didn’t learn quickly. Dance connected me to life at primal, joyous levels. I love sharing that. I love learning and teaching. I love performing and choreographing. I love working with dancers and non-dancers. I love inter-connecting dance with other art forms. Multi-media is the milieu du jour! It celebrates life, even in the low, lost, aching, dirty, sweat-filled-moments.
Presently, I instruct Jazz, Modern, & Musical Theatre at Wellesley College, and am acting head of a non-dance dept. One of my great joys is as Faculty Advisor & Choreographer for the Wellesley College Dancers.
Moving dance out into the Wellesley campus in different ways, I’ve produced multi-media workshops combining self care, Yoga, Pranayama, movement, song, and poetry.
In spring of 2010, I received a Multi Media Grant from CLCE to promote this work.
In 2009 I was a Grant recipient for a multi-media event at the Davis Museum; Black Womanhood; Images, Icons, and Ideologies of the African Body. This was a multi-media performance of poetry, prose, song & dance. Music written and performed by Martin Case.
In spring of 2008, I Choreographed Brigadoon for the Wellesley College Theatre.
In a long ago life as dancer/choreographer, I created Sun Valley Dance, in S.V. ID, working with and supported by the Sun Valley Arts Center
While there, I Choreographed musicals for the Laughing Stock Theatre Company,
Producing and managing a dance department for the Center for the Arts
Moving even farther back, formative work and training was done with John Parkinson, in avant garde productions at the Odyssey Theatre, San Francisco. I worked a the Neighborhood Arts Program, San Francisco, doing street performances…
Formal education was at UCLA, where I received a teaching scholarship to finish an M.A in Dance & Choreography
Before that, there were loft Performances & Studio Classes, NYC: Jose Limon Company, Jennifer Muller, Alvin Ailey Studio, Martha Graham Studio, Finis Young/Ballet, Luigi/ Jazz, Flamenco/Madrid.
