Continuing a Modern Dance Legacy with Samantha Géracht

There are many legends in modern dance that are responsible for making the art form what it is today. But how do we continue their legacy? Today we hear from one of the people responsible for continuing the legacy of Anna Sokolow, Samantha Géracht. Samantha is the artistic director at the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble and in this episode, she tells us all about her incredible career, the multitude of amazing dance practitioners she has learned from and worked with, the difference between a Sokolow dancer and a Sokolow director, the challenges she faces in continuing Anna’s legacy, and so much more! From ballet to modern dance, Samantha has experienced it all as student, performer, and teacher. You don’t want to miss this one so tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

·       Samantha tells us about her upbringing and what made her interested in dancing. 

·       What made her switch from ballet to modern dance and breaking the stigma about modern. 

·       Samantha shares her experience at the Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab and who taught her.

·       Samantha’s early marriage and family life. 

·       Joining the Sokolow company and the teaching jobs she had while she was a dancer. 

·       Becoming a Sokolow artistic director and how it differed from being a Sokolow dancer. 

·       The legacy that Anna Sokolow left and Samantha’s special Sokolow choreography. 

·       Samantha shares the biggest struggles and challenges throughout her career. 

·       The support system Samantha has to help her continue Anna’s legacy. 

·       Some of the highlights of Samantha’s career and what she’s working on now. 

·       Where she sees the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble in the future.

“Being a dancer and a modernist in an era that’s not that interested in modernism is it’s own struggle…..[I’m] giving myself a voice and figuring out what it is I want to do with Anna’s legacy and what that means.” — Samantha Géracht

Samantha Géracht performed with Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project for eleven years and is artistic director and a founding member of the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble. Catch In the Eye of a Dream, November 9-19, 2023 @ Theaterlab

Show Notes on this Episode: Movers & Shapers

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