SAMPUL Dance Company
Our Founder
Samantha Lee Pulsifer
Samantha Lee Pulsifer Owner of SAMPUL Dance Company was born in Massachusetts and raised in New Hampshire where she completed grade school and studied Hip Hop, Tap, Ballet, Modern, Lyrical. Jazz, and Musical Theatre. She then continued her school education by moving to New York City and attending the Broadway Dance Center Winter Internship program and Hip Hop Dance Conservatory Intensive. Moving to New York has allowed her to continue her 19 year dancing career and open her own Dance Company. Samantha has trained with many different choreographers in the NY, ATL, Miami, London, CHI, Africa, and LA areas where she currently resides.
In November 2011 SAMPUL Dance Company was founded. SAMPUL is not your typical dance company: we "Break Boundaries." SAMPUL is a well-rounded company that offers every style of dance anywhere from Hip Hip to Ballet. We focus on ages 17+ and encourage all. Our mission is to provide top quality inspirational and multi versatile performances as well as provide the proper intensive training to the NY community to those who are looking for a serious professional career in the dance industry and those who are looking for a beginner level technique training for an affordable cost... SAMPUL also offers private lessons, one-on-one training, and master classes throughout the United States and many other countries.
Company Manager
Nora Melendez
Born and raised in New York, Nora Melendez has always had a passion for the arts. She is currently majoring in English with a double minor in Photography and Journalism at St. John's University. She has worked on various different projects including New York City Fashion Week and Latina Fashion Week as well as worked for Jumpstart, a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students to work with preschool children in low-income areas. This summer she will be traveling to Paris as she participates in a photography program to continue to grow and develop in her field. She came to SAMPUL Dance Company over a year ago and has helped with behind the scene details for different events and performances including Broadway Underground. She also maintains and manages the company blog, SAMPUL Dance. SAMPUL is unlike any other company out there and she wholeheartedly supports not only their mission but their motto of 'Breaking Boundaries' no matter the field one chooses to jump into.
NYC Artistic Director
Lucia Monte
Lucia has just spent the last year traveling both the world and the country studying dance. She flew to London and trained intensively with the London Dance Program. There, she focused mainly on Hip Hop, Contemporary and Dancehall. After returning to the states she travelled across the country to continue her training in Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and LA. Now back in New York Lucia is excited to continue working hard and broadening her dance versatility and choreography by running the NYC location for SAMPUL as the Artisitc Director. She looks forward to watching the growth of the dancers and the company in the years to come.
Head Choreographer
Natalie Perez-Benitoa
Originally from Florida, Natalie began her dance training in Naples and moved to New York City right after turning 18 to study acting on film and television at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. During her time in school, she danced in various school performances and productions. Meanwhile, she auditioned for SAMPUL Dance Company in February of 2012 and has been dancing with Samantha Lee Pulsifer, among others, ever since. She presented her early work in New York at numerous dance spaces such as Dance New Amsterdam, The New-Jersey Fashion Week, Broadway Underground, and more. She has taught several styles of dance to a variety of age groups; most recently, Contemporary Jazz to young adults in Queens. She now holds the title of Head Choreographer for SAMPUL, and continues to create moving contemporary pieces for SAMPUL Dance Company. She has interests in Health, Fitness, and Mental Strength, and is currently working toward her goal to teach High School Students these important aspects of life through HealthCorps. Her mission is to infiltrate these pillars through the healing arts of movement and dance across the world.
Member/ Actress
Quashaea Rogers
Quashaea Rogers was born in Chicago, Illinois, but moved all over the Midwest before finally landing in Lafayette, Indiana. Although she had been performing as a singer/actress in musicals growing up, it wasn’t until she moved to Indiana that she really got interested in dancing. It was there where she had access to several dance classes and dance groups to help discover her talent. After high school she moved to New York to pursue her dream of Musical Theatre, which combined all three of her talents. She studied at the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts for acting, and performed in cabarets and danced with upcoming recording artist, Crizzynation. She joined SAMPUL in 2012 as an apprentice dancer and trained with the company in preparation for New Jersey Fashion Week. Now a company member she continues to grow and succeed as a singer and dancer. She is very thankful to SAMPUL for all the training she has received so far, and looks forward for all the growth there is to come.
Member/ Teacher
Ariana Cedeno
Ariana Cedeno has been a dancer since the age of six and has studied all types of dancing including, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, Lyrical, Tap, and Contemporary. She recently graduated from the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and is currently a full time student at Georgian Court University where she studies Communications Journalism and Graphic Design. She is an original member of SAMPUL Dance Company and has had the opportunity to perform at Jersey Fashion Week, The Dream Believe Know It Foundation Anti Bullying Conference, Dance New Amsterdam Showcase, Broadway Underground, and has been in several showcase recordings. Ariana hopes to dance for as long as she can and wants to make it a big part of her future.