A story of success
Yo Fam,
This week I was having a catch up with Sammi one of our long term crew members, she was on a tour bus in germany. She is dancing on the Thriller LIve tour. What made it interesting was The fact that out of a cast of 10 dancers on the tour 4 were all members of the Official Dance Crew with Sammi being dance captain and Shae being the resident director.
With only a handful of people leaving the crew in the last few years having 4 all be performing on the most prestigious tour in Europe is quite interesting. So I interviewed Sammi and found out what our Urban Striders are doing in the world of professional dance to put themselves above the crowd.
This interview is fantastic to show you what it takes to be a successful dancer and more importantly how much benefit being part of the Urban Strides Crew can be. Especially for your self confidence and helping you to fulfill your dreams.
Here is a pic of Sammi in the crew
Take your time to read the interview I know you’ll find it beneficial,
How old were you when you started Urban Strides?
I started urban strides when I was 13 years old.
What class did you attend?
I attended a Thursday class at the Misbourne school in the evenings.
How long before you plucked up the courage to audition for the “Official Crew”?
I took the first opportunity I had to audition for the crew as I loved the classes and desperately wanted more training and performing opportunities and didn’t want to lose anytime!
Why did you want to audition for the crew?
I wanted to audition because I loved the classes so much and realised this was something I really wanted to take seriously and start thinking of for a career. I got to the stage where all I Did was dance and practice so I knew I had to be in the crew!
How did you feel during the audition day for the Crew?
The day of the audition I felt very nervous because for me I knew if I didn’t get in it would take me another year to wait to get in and I was desperate to get in as soon as possible. I was also exited because I worked so hard in class all the time and hoped it was paying off. The audition had a great fun atmosphere and just being there made me happy.
What advice have you got for people who are auditioning for the crew?
The advice I would give to people auditioning for the crew is to just be yourself and show your personality and who you are more than anything. Work hard, keep motivated and don’t ever let yourself get knocked back because not every audition is going to go your way but it’s about fighting back and coming back stronger that builds you, and just to enjoy everything and take in all of the experience!
Was being in the crew what you expected?
Being in the crew was more than what I expected. I learnt so many different styles, and learnt about freestyle, performing, choreography and just everything I needed. The performance opportunities were amazing especially for the age I was at as well.
What 3 things did you enjoy most about being in the crew?
The three things I loved the most about being in the crew was meeting such amazing people and our crew was more like a family than a crew, how quickly I improved as a dancer, and how it built my confidence which I think was the biggest part of me becoming the dancer I am today.
What are your 3 most memorable moments from being in the crew?
My three most memorable times from being n the crew would have to be: the banter that we all had on tour together ( especially Beno and graham dressing up in ballet tights for us and generally cracking me up!) , when we performed at Hay festival because I loved that set and it was such a fun trip, and the making of the Urban Strides DVD with the amazing cars, it was a very fun shoot!
What was your favourite performance?
My favourite performance would have to be our tour at the O2 arena. Walking out and performing on that stage infront of that many people was just amazing.
What was your favourite choreography?
The whole set at Hay festival for me was my favourite choreography. I loved the song choices, I loved the routines and the whole idea. It was a 20 minute set and I was the only girl involved and I had such a great time with everyone and learnt a lot from this set!
Looking back at your time performing with Urban Strides how much of an impact do you think it had on your development and your life in general?
I think that being in the crew has definitely had a big impact on my life and my career. Before urban strides I didn’t really have any self confidence and being a part of the crew and having such amazing supportive and friendly members really helped me to progress. As soon as my confidence grew, my dancing and my performance especially just improved. So these days I’m not afraid to try new things and takes risks and I feel being able to do this really helps to further yourself as a dancer and a performer. Performance was always a massive part of being in the crew and having this has helped me in my career so much. Performance is the first thing people look for and being able to naturally perform I think is a key factor to being a dancer.
How well did your time with Urban Strides prepare you for your career?
My time with urban strides helped me a lot with my career. I was a part of the crew for 4 almost 5 years and I think having that much experience of performing and having already built up my cv was a massive help for me getting into college and other opportunities. As I’ve already said, having the ability to perform well has helped me a lot and just generally having trained for that long in many styles so I was as versatile as I could be I feel has helped.
You performed your choreography during a piece we performed at the Wycombe Swan, how did you feel seeing your own choreography being performed by your crew for the 1st time?
The day when andy said I could choreograph something for the crew I was so excited and just amazed to have the opportunity. I’ve always wanted to be a choreographer when I’m older and choreographing has always been something I love and to have the opportunity to create something of my own and try it out was incredible. I remember showing it to the crew and being so nervous, once it was put in the show and watching it being done I felt very proud and just determined and motivated for my career. It made me want to work even harder because the feeling of seeing your own creation come to life was so exciting and I just wanted to push myself further to become a choreographer.
You have always loved choreographing is this something you would like to do more of in the future?
I definitely would love to choreograph in the future. I would like to perform as a dancer first and slowly make my way into choreographing, I always choreograph in my free time and work on my skills and try to better myself so that one day my dream of being a choreographer can come true!
You went straight from college (graduating in July) to getting your first job (august) this is unheard of in the dance industry, what did you do to get noticed and stick out in the audition?
I feel I am very lucky to have got work so soon out of college. I was expecting to be struggling for the first year making my way through auditions. In June before I had graduated we had a workshop with Gary Lloyd (the Director who worked with Urban Strides on The Royal Variety Performance-small world!) where we learnt a routine from Thriller Live and had to freestyle. I loved the workshop and made sure Gary knew me and remembered my face as I knew auditions for Thriller were soon. I auditioned for the show in the first week of August. I was unbelievably nervous as I have wanted to be in Thriller Live since I started college. I feel I made myself stand out in the audition by showing my personality and passion. I made sure in freestyles that I wouldn’t just be into myself and just dancing but I would go up to the panel and have fun whilst still showing skills, I did everything possible for them to just be watching me. I tried my hardest not to get nervous too and just thought about how much I wanted that job.
How does it feel being part of a tribute act for an artist like Michael Jackson?
Being in this show and representing Michael Jackson every night is amazing. I have always looked up to Michael and going out on stage every night infront of hundreds of people who are passionate and dedicated fans of michael and seeing how happy it makes them makes me feel very privileged to be dancing and representing his music. There is never a moment when I am bored or can’t be bothered because he is such a legend and his music to me is unbelievable and I hope generations to come always know and love michael and this show keeps him living!
What was your most memorable piece of advice you still use today that you got from your time with Urban Strides?
My most memorable advice I received from urban strides was to dance like no one is watching! That’s how I feel and what I think about in auditions because work is limited in this industry and auditions are not the time to be nervous and forget steps, you just have to be confident, give it your all and just let yourself go, enjoying yourself and dancing like no one is there and as if your in your bedroom is the perfect way to do it!
What advice would you give for young dancers who want to follow your path and audition for the Urban Strides crew?
For people who have the same ambition as I have and wish to take the same steps I would just say to always believe in yourself and to work very hard and always keep determined. Train as much as you can and never become complacent. Auditioning for the crew is really beneficial and has guided me towards my career so much.
Any other bits of info, advice, or wisdom you have that you want to share?
If there was anything else I would say it is to always stay humble and always be kind and respectful with everyone you work with. Being talented is important but being a good character to work with is even more important. This is also one of the best bits of advice I received from being in the crew. The dance industry is quite often about who you know, and being a friendly and easy person to work with is always going to help you! Good luck to everyone 
Wise words indeed, let me know what you thought of the interview, any ideas it sparked off for you and if it’s helped you think about anything in a new light. Sammi went from going to class to being on a year long tour, in a tribute show for arguably the biggest musical icon in history. It all started with going to an audition for Urban Strides, remember you can achieve anything you want if you apply yourself.
Let me know what you thought drop a comment in the box below
Have a fab weekend
Big luv
Andy
