About Us
Beginning in 2015, Samantha Nicole School of Dance aims to be a community-creating dance school, offering a range of styles. With classes for ages 2 and up across all abilities and genders, we hope to offer something for everyone! We currently teach Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical Dance, Preschool Dance and Acro Dance from our Grey Lynn based community halls.
Following Jazz Dance New Zealand (JDNZ) Jazz & Lyrical; Asia Pacific Dance Association (APDA) Hip Hop & Acrobatic Arts (AA) AcroDance, our classes are designed to teach developing dance technique, through exercises and routines focused on musicality and movement. Students can progress through the grades and have the opportunity to sit exams in August each year.
We celebrate our year of learning with an annual Dance Concert in December, which all students are invited to perform in (including our youngest preschool dancers!).
Our classes are taught with the aim of growing our students as dancers, and as individuals. We aim to create encouraging and friendly learning environments, where friendships are created and encouraged, and no forms of bullying are tolerated.
DIRECTOR / TEACHER - Sam Cantle
Sam grew up dancing at Auckland West Dance Academy from age 6, taking classes in jazz, lyrical & ballet and competing with the studio troupe teams.
After finishing high school, Sam was a full-time nanny for a number of years alongside teaching dance part-time on a contracting basis. In 2015, Sam opened her own dance school - Samantha Nicole School of Dance, while continuing nannying, and then whilst studying Design at AUT.
Since beginning, the dance school has grown from 4 classes to 4 days, now offering a range of styles. Sam is the teacher of all current classes and loves connecting with each of the students and watching them develop as dancers and individuals.
Dance Qualifications
JDNZ Registered member
JDNZ Intermediate Jazz
Acrobatic Arts Level 1 Certified
NCEA Dance Levels 1 & 3
APDA Urban Ignition Registered member