Today we’d like to introduce you to Samaria Barnes.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Before dancing, I was a cheerleader, gymnast, girl scout, and “pageant girl”. As the first black girl to ever win the title Little Miss Webb in 2001, I was awarded a scholarship to dance at the Dothan School of Dance. Every activity that I participated in became more and more time consuming as I began to get older. So, in the fourth grade, I was told by my mom that I had to choose between competitive gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, and girl scouts. I chose DANCE! I trained and performed in most styles of dance ranging from classical ballet to hip hop. I traveled across the US and Canada training, performing and competing for titles such as Dance Masters of America Petite and Teen Miss Dance, Breakout Artist at Nuvo, Jump VIP with Break The Floor Productions, and The Pulse on Tour Protege. Throughout high school, I performed stage and live performances with Southeast Alabama Dance Company, Atlanta Falcons Halftime, Southeast Regional Ballet Association, Alabama Dance Company, Regional Dance America, and National Choreography Intensive. After much success on the competition circuit, I traveled to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of becoming a professional dancer.
Has it been a smooth road?
Anything that comes easy is never rewarding. Becoming a professional dancer was not only the hardest journey of my life but also the most rewarding. I chose the road less taken. Aside from the financial struggles that most young adults go through, I was also given health struggles.
At the age of 16 years old, I became ill while performing with the Southeast Alabama Dance Company in the ballet Beauty and the Beast… The Best of Both Worlds. That moment completely changed my life forever. At that time, I was unknowingly suffering from hypertension and became faint during the show. The ambulance rushed me to the hospital because I showed symptoms of a stroke and I was told that it would be life-threatening for me to dance. Going against doctors’ orders, I continued to pursue dance as a career. Two years later, and only a couple weeks before leaving to compete as a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance in Las Vegas, I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse with regurgitation. This caused me to be hospitalized and have to wear a portable EKG on the show. Not only was I scared, but I was embarrassed to have these cords attached to my chest. Again, going against doctors’ orders, I chose dance. You’d think that after all of the obstacles, my path would be clear.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, I was faced with thinking that I will never be good enough. I was told that I was too short, too dark, too thick, or just don’t have enough Instagram followers. Those words not only could have ruined my self-esteem but had the ability to drive me down a dark path. Well growing up, my family, specifically my grandpa, taught me how to be strong. He had been through a lot in his life and showed me that with God by my side, nothing could bring me down. When I was homesick, I would call him and of course, he wanted me home, but I knew that he was always so proud of what I had accomplished. That gave me the motivation to stay and continue my journey on being a professional dancer. In December 2014, he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I had to grow up and be the person that he needed to call and talk to. While going through a lot of tough times with his battle, I was chosen to be a principal dancer in Justin Bieber’s music video Purpose. The experience dancing to that song was very fitting for my life in that moment. I then knew that all of the time that I sacrificed away from my family and grandpa was worth it. He passed away in February of 2016 and only a few weeks later, I was hired as a master teacher and judge at Dance Masters of America, a scholarship convention that I once competed in as a child.
What else should we know about your story and what you are currently focused on?
My first jobs in Los Angeles, I performed live with E-40 and was cast in the Hip Hop Wizard of Oz. I’ve traveled with Mila J as a dancer on The Waiting Game European Tour. Also, I have made several appearances in seasons 9 and 10 of the hit Fox TV show So You Think You Can Dance, and was cast as a main dancer on Nigel Lythgoe’s online dance show Every Single Step airing exclusively on go90. You can find me dancing in Justin Beiber’s deeply impactful music video Purpose. For the release of the album NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES, I performed with N.E.R.D., at ComplexCon, one of L.A.’s largest culture festivals. I have also been spotted dancing in the world’s first-ever live movie commercial for The Greatest Showman on FOX. Most recently, I’ve danced alongside Beyoncé in her history-making, radically charged performance at the 2018 Coachella Music Festival. Shortly after Coachella, Sheikh Fye and I co-founded the company Fye & Barnes, a world-class entertainment company, based in Los Angeles, California. We provide all major label services including management, consulting, artist development, and marketing. Since my experience in Los Angeles as a professional dancer and entrepreneur, I have been considered a master teacher and choreographer. I have taught at many dance studios and dance conventions like Dance Masters of America, and set choreography that has been featured on So You Think You Can Dance, and won awards like Best Choreography at dance competitions. I recently was chosen to coordinate a dance team at the new Dothan High School in Dothan, Alabama. I am proud of what dance has done for my life and believe that my experience and determination provides dancers the best training for a professional career.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
As a current dance professional and entrepreneur of the entertainment industry, I see dancers becoming the forefront of entertainment. I believe that dancers drive the trend for pop culture and are not valued in the entertainment industry. By continuing to provide dancers, influencers, entertainers the necessary tools for the industry by training through dance and managing their careers through Fye & Barnes, I plan to be on top of the big shift when dancers are now the stars. My goal within the next ten years is to own a thriving SUPER studio. This studio will provide dancers professional training and networking opportunities, as well as include space for artists and producers to record and actors, influencers, and cinematographers the equipment for stage and film. While owning the studio, Fye & Barnes will manage the careers of our clients.
Pricing:
- Rates starting at $150/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.samariabarnes.com
- Email: samaria@samariabarnes.com and contact@fyeandbarnes.com
- Instagram: @samariabarnes_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialsamariabarnes/
- Other: www.fyeandbarnes.com
Image Credit:
Toni Teague, Alannah Vincent, Samaria Barnes, Sam Merritt, Beyonce.com
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