Samantha Louise Oliver is a current MFA Candidate at the University at Buffalo. She is from Annapolis, Maryland, where she has choreographed and danced professionally.

Her collegiate training began at Anne Arundel Community College, earning her Associate of Arts with a concentration in Dance under Lynda Fitzgerald. Samantha transferred and graduated from Slippery Rock University, Summa Cum Laude, with her Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Dance with a double concentration in Performance and Choreography, and Studio Ownership, and Dance Entrepreneurship. At SRU, she performed in guest and faculty work, including Palenque: Colombian Dance Ensemble under the direction of Melissa Teodoro.

Additionally, Samantha has attended various summer programs, including FORGE Summer Dance Intensive and the Bates Dance Festival Professional Dance Program. She was a recipient of the Norton Undergraduate Research Scholarship Grant to study creative research, specifically the choreographic process with street dance and contemporary-based styles. Her research focused on intertwining concert and commercial-based aesthetics. The most influential educators who have shaped Samantha's training and choreography include Duane Holland, Jr., Jennifer Harge, Teena Marie Custer, Eriko Jimbo, Kimani Fowlin, Lindsey Viatori, Will B. Bell, and Abby Zbikowski.

Samantha is Yoga Certified under Yoga Alliance for her 200-Hour Yoga Training, Alignment-Oriented Yoga, and Flow Yoga. She had the opportunity to intern at the Women in the Round Yoga Retreat under Linda Meacci and Melissa Teodoro. Her love for conditioning, building strength, and increasing flexibility in her own training and her students inspired her to become Acrobatic Arts Certified Module 1.

Professionally, Samantha has worked in musical theatre, contemporary dance, and as a choreographer for various styles. She was a core dancer for Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre's: Escape to Margaritaville and a company dancer with Kinetics Dance Theatre under Liz Quiñones for their company concert: of Gravity and Grace.

Samantha's choreographic interest is inspired by street dance, both in the concert and commercial industries, as well as the athleticism of contemporary floor work. She also has an interest in the blend of Jazz Techniques with her experience in Musical Theatre. As an educator and dance artist, she believes in the importance of the historical context of movement, knowledge of anatomy and conditioning practices for technical proficiency, and exploring femininity through various styles.

Samantha hopes to continue working in the concert and commercial dance industry as a dance artist and choreographer. Her goal for the future is to train the next generation of dancers in higher education and implement concert and commercial street dance styles as mandatory techniques.