SAMANTHA MAKING THE BEST OF DANCE
Dancer extraordinaire, Chore o g r a p h e r and Creative Director, Samantha Claire Ncube, better known as Samantha Claire has had a very interesting journey. Ncube has been dancing for years.
But her early years were not as jovial as she is today. She was introduced to dance by her parents who sent her off to try out ballet. Ballet dancing, she admits, didn’t give her the freedom to express herself. It was very stiff, and not
so much fun. Years down the line, she shares how she would eventually find her rhythm in Hip Hop dancing. But that joy came after a defining moment.
She remembers that one day, back then, Daft Punk’s One More Time was very popular. A group of students were dancing to this song, and innocently, she tried to join them. This did not go down very well, as she was turned into a laughing stock.
“It was a defining moment for me as I was a foreigner who did not know how to dance the way locals danced,” recalls Claire who is originally from Zimbabwe.
But perhaps that incident is the reason that she embarked on this journey and found her calling. Somehow, she found the confidence to try again, and it was fire from then onwards. She has never looked back. Today, Ncube is keen about sharing her love for dance with all age groups, and just about anyone who wants to shake off their bones, and express themselves through dance.
Indeed, Ncube is an extraordinaire. She is light on her feet, and a breath of fresh air. When she dances, it is like everything stops and that nothing else matters. Dancing her many pieces inspired by different life events and moments, you can tell that she was born to dance. Her soul literally lights up when she is in her zone. It is like she goes in a trance and everything around her fades into oblivion. Be it a sexy piece, or an African inspired Contemporary piece that she performs barefoot in the village, she is truly remarkable. Her love for her craft, has seen her studying with one of the best Universities, University of Cape Town, where she studied African & Contemporary Dance. With many years in the industry, the 31- year- old wants nothing more than to be able to create unforgettable experiences of movement and performance art for the creative consumers, and to also produce unmatched value in creative business development. Her dream is to become a leading pan African leader in Choreography and the Performance Art, as well as the Creative Business Development. And judging by her portfolio, she is well on her way to achieve that dream. A graduate of Dance, Media and Writing and Social Development and former Senior Dancer with Mophato Dance Theatre where she had the opportunity to tour and perform in
Europe with the group.
Her work as an independent practitioner has also seen her choreographing works for Maitisong as official resident choreographer, directed hundreds of dancers for BOTS52 celebrations, and also conducted dance workshops locally and internationally. She also happens to be a trained actress, having been coached by Hollywood based Tasha Smith, Morocco Amani, and Brevly Evani. Besides dancing, she also happens to be a seasoned Sales and Business Development Professional. She has successfully completed works in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
After years sharpening her skills, and progressing in her career, she tells this publication that today she leans more towards being a choreographer and Creative Director.
“I have the gift of being able to create work. I am able to actually create work and put it together,” she says, highlighting that this is one
of her strengths. For those who are keen to learn dancing, she runs a dance studio, Dance Space which she rebranded from Dancing with Samantha Claire where she offers services that include dance classes for children, teens and adults, offering various dance styles such as contemporary and African dance.
“I also have adult class centred around making a woman tap into her feminine energy. This is such a fun class, and is one of our popular classes to launch. It is our twerk, waist workout, it is such a fun class,” she explains.
Other services include wedding and corporate functions choreography, adverts, and social media campaigns, and also dabbles in the movie industry with her company offering dance related productions for the screen.
Reminiscing about her love for Contemporary and African dance, which she was able to do while she was with Mophato Dance Theatre, she shares that she really enjoyed the four years that she spent with the group. “They specialise in contemporary which is what I love because it taps into the core of who I am as an African, and the contemporary dance part is beautiful to express yourself emotionally,” she says.
Quizzed on how Covid- 19 has affected her work, she explains that when the pandemic hit, she was going through a lot. She was earning a living through dance, and with that came the responsibility and the many hardships of relying on her passion to put bread on the table.
“In the beginning it was great. Along the way, I was feeling strain because I was giving it pressure to feed me,” she explains. She further says that it was vital for one to find a way to retain that passion, and not let it really suck one dry and strain them to the point where they feel like you are not getting paid enough for this.
“And it was tight, I was dry creatively,” she explains. When the Lockdowns happened, the business took a knock. But the silver lining with the Lockdowns is how she was able to invest her time in freestyle pieces.
“My most authentic and raw work was created during that period. That period gave me a chance to connect with myself and spirit; I used dance to do that. It gave me time to connect with myself,” she says.
Life is a big part of what helps her conceptualise her many pieces. She also taps into Music for inspiration. Choreography, she says, can also be directed by the lyrics of songs, as well as different things and situations. “All of these factors help me to create and come up with an array of scenarios, as well as the emotional mental space that I am in, it also helps me to be creative,” says Ncube.
One of her biggest highlights is going to the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in New York where she learnt so much about the evolving world of dance, as well as see how studios are run.