Today we’d like to introduce you to Sammee Schirmer.
Hi Sammee, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! My name is Sammee Schirmer and I am freelance artist, dance educator and choreographer currently based out of Kansas City, MO. My dance journey started at the age of 3 in a hometown of Bluffton, South Carolina at the local dance studio, Bluffton School of Dance. My mom put me in dance like most to burn energy, find community and wear a cute tutu to take photos in but I knew from a very young age that this was going to be my path. Around the age of 8, I got an invitation from the studio director, Dawn Rosa Miller, to join the competition team and start traveling nationally to compete, take class and audition around the country. It was from that year forward that I was addicted to improvement, obsessed with the balance of physicality and artistic expression and knew dance and the community it holds would be where I pursued my life. To me, there really never felt like another option and that was exciting.
Knowing that I wanted a dance career to be my path after high school, I started looking into the next steps for my training, education and connection building to create a foundation that had structure. Being one of the first from my studio to want to dance in college, my dance teacher and I went through a lot of growing, learning and educating together as either of us knew what this all entailed. In the summer of my junior year, I attend a 3 week long summer intensive in NYC through the New York City Dance Alliance that opened my eyes to all things college for dance. I was exposed to different styles of training, different ways to approach the art form, concert dance vs. commercial dance, details about what all the programs across the country and so many other nuances that the career could potential offer. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or behind, I remember feeling extremely determined, excited and eager to jump in. Dance had always been the most consistent and reliable space in my life and to learn that I could make this my career felt freeing from the circumstances of home that I was currently facing.
When it came to audition for college, my family did not have endless funds for me to fly around the country and audition for this rigorous and competitive dance programs. While in the intensive the summer before, I connected with two mentors at the event one of which attended the University of Arizona while the other attended Marymount Manhattan College in NYC. They both had communicated that I would be a good fit for the program and to do my research on potentially auditioning. I decided that these would be the two that I auditioned for in hopes that one would work out. I very graciously got into both dance programs and academic schools and then further went down the journey to see what financial aid and support I could get to make this dream a reality. Being a jazz dancer primarily in my up bringing, I decided that Arizona would be a good fit for strengths and abilities and mentally had decided that is where I would pursue my BFA. But just days before decision day, I had a strange feeling in my gut that I needed to make a different choice. On an instinct, I decided to change my plans, step out of my comfort zone and head to NYC to attend Marymount Manhattan College. I live with not a single regret.
I began my collegent dance career with little to no exposer to concert and contemporary dance training which is primarily what MMC was known for and excelled at at the time. It was new, different and rigorous at first as many of these programs want to break down everything you think you know about the art form to rewire, rework and reintroduce you to ideas and techniques with a new lens. The program not only harped on the physical growth of the dancing body but also put a heavy emphasis on the expansion the academic side of dance. Diving deeper into topics such as dance history, music, anatomy, business in dance and so much more. My entire day circulated around dance and to me that was thrilling, I was in heaven. Being the over achiever and activist that I am, I was President of Dance Reps for MMC Dance Department, I was a works study student with a focus on social media, film and archival for the dance department, I was a part time nanny for a family on the upper east side and a bartender on the night shifts many days of the week to pay for the expense of living in NYC. Along with the busyness of the required parts of life, I was also auditioning, taking class and building connections outside of the MMC community taking advantage of living in the best city on earth for dance. I was busy as ever but can honestly say that I was never tired because I genuinely loved every minute of what I was doing and who I was doing it with.
Fast forward to my Junior year of college or otherwise known as March of 2020, COVID19 strikes the world. Being in the most congested, hyper active and aware city in the country, this was one of the scariest and weirdest times of my life. We received an email on that Wednesday stating that we would not be allowed to return to campus for two weeks which in dance training language felt like a death sentence for my physical progress. I decided to wait it out in the Hamptons with the family I nannied for but it quickly became clear that we were not going back any time soon. After 2 weeks, I decided to rent a car and drive home to South Carolina to have a studio space to finish out my dance classes for the semester. Although COVID was collectively a terrible time, training in isolation was actually very restorative and therapeutic for me. After facing many challenges with eating disorders, perfectionism and comparison, the space alone for me to get better physically, mentally and emotionally was needed for a lot of reasons. I like to describe that moment in my life as being forced off the rat wheel. Where ever I thought I was going, whatever I though I was suppose to do or where I was suppose to be with my life was all made up by the pressures that surrounded me and that I equally put on myself. For a moment I could breathe which lead me think that the way in which I was living before was not sustainable, heathy or worth it. Something had to change.
Being home for what felt like forever brought its own set of challenges. With my parents recently going through a divorce and my sister who has a learning disability trying to graduate high school, home was not what it was. Although the obligations and expectations for life had paused, there was still a lingering feeling of fear, sadness and judgement in my being. Here I was at the age of 21 getting a degree in something that I wasn’t really sure would exist in this new reality, hundreds of miles away from my community and deeply struggling with self acceptance. There were many days where I researched different career paths in hopes that one would speak to me as much as dance did. I was only met with disappointment and confusion on how I landed here in this mess of a mindset.
It was now December of 2020 and I had been home for over 6 months. We had gotten the news that starting in the Spring we would still only be partially in person and financially I didn’t see it to be insightful to move back. I had a studio back home I was able to use and a roof over my head that I didn’t have to find a job to pay for. After looking over my credits and advising with my faculty I was able to graduate early from my senior year at MMC. With only a few credits to fulfill in January, I decided to close this chapter of my life to hopefully find something a little less daunting and remembrent of the past. But in reality I had no plan and no direction on what I was going to do with my life. With the intense struggles of ED that I had been facing over the years I decided to step away from dance entirely. It was the first time in my life that I gave myself permission to stop. It was the moment where I realized that I didn’t have to keep living up to this invisible standard that I had set for myself and instead I could live a life full of moments and not just dance moves.
I decided to buy a car. I was in desperate need of community and friendship and was craving adventure after ‘graduating’ college in a tiny box on zoom when I were suppose to walk across Lincoln Center. With going to school in NY, all my peers were scattered across the country. New York City attacks all walks of life which was one of my favorite things about living their in my early 20s. So I started driving with a suitcase worth of 2 weeks of clothes and necessities. My first stop was ATL and then Nashville down to New Orleans and then across to Colorado and eventually landing in Kansas City to see family. My mom’s side of the family grew up in St. Louis and have since found themselves scattered between there and KC. I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world to have 2 cousins that have always felt like brothers who I have visited every year Christmas. And although this year was very different in the rest of the world and in my life, this tradition would live on. I stayed at my aunts house like I always did in KC and after the festivities had wound down my aunt asked ‘so whats next?” I remember instantly wanted to cry because for the first time in my life I had no plan. She then suggested ‘Well, why don’t you just stay here for a bit.. you have no where else to be.’ She very much had a point.
I have always loved the practice of yoga. I began my yoga journey in high school as a way to cross train for dance but instantly fell in love with what it did for my mental practice as well. As I was living at my aunts, I found a yoga studio close by to practice at daily. I noticed that they were offering a yoga teacher training at a very discounted rate due to COVID limitations and I thought, why not! Teaching dance my whole life, I knew the teaching part would come naturally but I was shocked by the amount of self study and practice the training would force. It came at the most perfect time in my life because in a way I was rediscovering who I was and what I wanted to be. During the duration of this training a fellow instructor also happened to be a dancer. She invited me to this ‘open contemporary class’ in downtown Kansas City. My initial reaction was ‘ Theres dance here?” but then immediately blew it off because I had not danced in months and didn’t want my first time in a studio to be with strangers. But when it came to the night of the class, something came over me. I remember standing in the basement of my aunts house starring at myself in the mirror saying ‘just go, if you hate it you never have to go back and you never have to see these people again.’ As someone who comes off confident and sure of herself, I had never felt more nervous and uncomfortable in my life. I went to the class only to realize that there were a heavy handful of talented dance artists in KC. After the class, the instructor expressed interest in me joining his next project if I was going to be around for the next few months. And it was in that moment that the saying ‘The best things come when you least expect them’ really was true.
I decided to stick around for the 3 month project to dance for Tristian Griffin Dance Company and this decision would change the trajectory of my life in a way I could have NEVER expected. One the first day of rehearsal I asked the entirety of the cast if anyone wanted to get coffee considering I didn’t know a single soul. One man, tall and handsome spoke up from the back of the group ‘ I would.’ He would later become my boyfriend of 5 years and counting and be a very vital part to my journey in KC. That is a whole story on its own but for context, I feel in love. I continued to dance for Tristian pretty constantly, dancing in performances and assisting in choreography processes which eventually lead to dancing with Wylliams Henry Dance Company. I was dancing for both companies for almost two years, enjoying being back on stage and taking class consistently which is something I was definitely struggling with in school. This experience opened my eyes that dance exists everywhere and I was only limiting my opportunities by thinking it had to exist in a certain city in a certain way. I began to settle in to a little life in KC and felt peace from the decision and consistency.
With dancing professionally in KC brought many teaching opportunities at local studios. Teaching was a passion of mine that I was missing and was eager find somewhere I could educate and train kind hearted and talented dancers. During this season of subbing classes and guest teaching, Artists Revealed Dance Company reached out to be on social media and asked if I would come into their space and speak about going to Marymount and my experience in getting a BFA in dance. Come to find out it is a pre – professional contemporary dance company aiming to educate dancers through the concert lens and prepare them for college and professional settings. I remember thinking ‘how cool, I wish I would have had something like this when i was growing up’ and of course agreed. It was an instant click. Andi Abernathy and Steph Jones the Artistic Directors at the time were people I feel like I not only needed in my life but felt like I had met in a previous life. They asked me to join their staff for the upcoming season.
Artists Revealed Dance Company is really where I owe everything to. I started teaching these dancers once a week for a contemporary class but was instantly inspired and genuinely shocked my the level of talent and effort these dancers obtained in the space. I became obsessed. Constantly wanting to better myself, my education, my training and my understanding of the dance world to in turn educate and prepare them for their careers. I had found a passion that was waiting to be lit and I could not have been more grateful for the timing. I started working heavily in partnership with Andi and Steph to hopefully grow the program and potential inside the curriculum that was already so strong. With open arms they invited every idea, every thought and every suggestion I offered with a listening ear. They made me feel worthy, important and like I had something worth sharing and in that moment that couldn’t have meant more to me. Then later that year asked me to choreograph on the company which really was my first experience in this setting. I have always loved generating, curating and creating moves for class but in a formal extended setting, I was nervous. I instantly fell in love with the process and am aware that it also was because I had the best dancers to create on. The process felt seamless and fired a part of my brain that I didn’t trust for a long time. This lead to presenting a version of the work at Peter Chu and Alexandra Wells Choreography festival ‘Open Doors.’ It was among many surreal experiences that have come with the process of choreography.
Simultaneously to teaching at AR, I was recommended by a friend to send an application in for assisting at Adrenaline and Revive Dance Conventions. Even though I had never attended the events myself, the staff was made up of many of my mentors and role models in the contemporary dance world. After leaving both professional dance companies after two years, I was craving a space to take class and a community I could invest in. I ended up getting the job and it is one of my favorite gigs I do through out the season. I travel all over the country, assisting rigorous faculty, teaching, judging and choreographing and it is made up of some of the best humans in the world. I am grateful for the timing of this connection as well.
As I entered my second season with Artists Revealed I was looking for a way to educate the surrounding area of what Artists Revealed is and what it had to offer. Simultaneously I was looking for a way to introduce my New York community to these dancers that I had grown a heart for. That is when Jeremy and I created INTERSPACE DANCE INTENSIVE in Kansas City. We decided to create a 4 day intensive open to the public to experience guest artists, AR faculty and also integrating career discussions, college prep and company exposure to those who may not have it at their studios. The first event we had held 22 dancers while the last event we just had this spring held 145 dancers. The events were only 2 years a part. We have been blown away and grateful for the growth the intensive has shown to both itself and to AR. It has been a dream come true to bridge my life in NYC with my community in KC and I can not wait to see how it continues to grow.
In spirit of all the growth inside of AR, I most recently accepted the position of Artistic Director of the company. I beyond honored and excited to assume this roll and all it can lead to for myself as an educator but more importantly what I can continue to create for the young dancers in the company. Its a journey I didn’t see coming this soon but couldn’t be more grateful Andi and Steph trust me with their vision. We are entering season 9 with our biggest company yet and I am eager to getting moving and continue to see whats possible for all involved!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I touched on it briefly but I struggled with an eating disorder pretty severely in college. With high expectations to succeed I allowed others expectations of me lessen my self worth. Its a mindset that took me three years to recover from and wasn’t really until I got to KC that I fully allowed myself to heal. If you need more info on this I can share it, I just don’t want this to be what the article is about!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I would say that I specialize in dance education. I have found a real passion for how to educate in the world of dance, and what it can do for dancers, their mentality their careers and how approaching dance from an artistic lens can lead to a variety of opportunity. I attempt to create an environment where dancers feel safe to explore, create an invite versions of themselves that they don’t show the outside world. This is where I think they become the most authentic versions of themselves and intern give themselves permission to be who they really are. I know for me I have found my best friends, my life partner, and some of the most extraordinary people inside of the dance community and my hope is to continue to inspire young dancers to join it. We need dance, we need art and we need people who support it. When asked what I’m known for I would hope people would say less about my work and more about who I am and what I represent. Although I am a professional dancer and I do teach for a career I strive to be known as an individual seeking the best for others and enjoying the time we have. Accolades and recognition will always feel nice but over the years I’ve learned memories, relationships and connection is what will live with us most.
When Im asked what I am most proud of, I would have to say my resilience. It’s taken me a long time to recognize this attribute of myself but through many of life‘s challenges I have found a way to pursue something that I love with the people that I love most. Of course I am proud of the things that I’ve done, the work that I’ve presented and the training that I have been dedicated to but none of it compares to the ability to keep going. I think the recognition of this is what sets me apart from others. It’s often in the dance community that I run across ego, expectation and judgment but I have quickly learned that any space that is filled with such is not a space for me. A quote that has recently stuck with me and something that I try to embrace is ‘ if you don’t build your own dream, someone will hire you to build theirs.’ Right now there are limited jobs in the arts, but especially in the dance world. My hope is to continue to build spaces for dancers to feel seen, be appreciated both verbally and monetarily and to make dance visible to the every day eye.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think pursuing a career in dance is a risk alone. Unfortunately, it is not as funded nor seen as valued to the general public, which therefore leads to a life much more uncertain than a 9 to 5. To me this is freedom and exciting but definitely comes with its fair share of uncertainty.
If we’re looking for specific risk, taking, the first risk I ever took was attending Marymount in New York. I had Little to no financial backing nor support, but knew I wanted to do that for myself. Another risk I took was moving to Kansas City. I had no idea where it would lead or what would come from the decision but some of my biggest and greatest blessings have transpired through that choice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sammeeschirmer.me
- Instagram: @sammee_schirmer
- Facebook: @interspacedance
- Other: @artistsrevealed
