News archive
Sam choreographed “As You Like It” (dir. Nancy Bell) and assisted with actor/puppet movement for “The Tempest” (dir. Tom Ridgely) with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Summer 2024
Philip Hamer Photography
Sam choreographed “The Bee Play” for New Jewish Theatre in 2022, featuring Riley Adams.
Sam premiered “Everything’s Fine” in the Catherine B Berges Theatre with COCAdance 2nd Company, May 2022. She has choreographed works for the pre-professional division each year since 2019
Sam choreographed “Into the Woods” alongside director Annamaria Pileggi at Washington University in St. Louis, 2022
COW-ography
Sam began teaching at the Center of Creative Arts in 2017. She was named Rehearsal Assistant for COCAdance, their pre-professional contemporary/modern company in 2020. She was their Summer Camp Manager in 2021, Dance & Pre-Professional Division Manager from 2022-2024, and she continues to serve as a teaching artist and Rehearsal assistant to this day. She currently teaches the advanced Horton and Jazz technique classes for the pre-professional students.
Sam served on the Board for the Link Auditorium from 2018-2020. She helped streamline and digitize their processes and hosted a series of Dance Improv Jams in their beautiful space. She resigned from the board due to their dysfunction, yet they implemented all her suggestions after her departure : )
Sam choreographed Saint Louis University’s production of Godspell in April of 2019. See Two on the Aisle’s review of the production by clicking the video below!
SLU’s cast of Godspell, performing Gaitsch’s choreography at the Grandel Theatre in April of 2019
Sam premiered a new work for The Big Muddy Dance Company's concert "Home Grown" January 26th 2019 at the Grandel Theatre.
The Big Muddy Dancers in Sam’s piece “Well-Deserving”
Choreographers Kirven Douthit-Boyd and Sam Gaitsch after the concert
Executive Director Erin Prange interviewed Sam about her world premiere “Well-Deserving” and about her life and trajectory as an artist working in St. Louis.
Sam working with the dancers in rehearsal:
Sam choreographed Stray Dog Theatre's musical, Evil Dead, which ran October 11th-27th, 2018.
Photo: John Lamb
The actors of Stray Dog Theatre in rehearsal with Sam. Photo: Justin Been
MFA Dance Concert : Common Ground
March 24th, 2018 in Edison Theatre
Gaitsch premiered "ENTERpersonal," a thirty-minute choreographic work of dance-theatre as her final component of the MFA in Dance.
David Dwight IV and Sam Gaitsch in their duet
THEATRE CIRCLE AWARDS
2018
Gaitsch was nominated for the "Outstanding Choreographer" Award, presented by the St. Louis Theatre Circle.
Gaitsch with Robert Kapeller of Stray Dog Theatre at the Awards Ceremony
Choreography by Sam Gaitsch
John Lamb Photography 2017
Two On the Aisle video review- starts @ 14:41
Gaitsch working with the actors of Stray Dog Theatre
Stray dog theatre presents the musical "Spring Awakening"
October 2017
Click logos for full reviews:
"Justin Been directs this smart interpretation with a sure hand, Sam Gaitsch provides engaging, equally fresh choreography,... Justin Been and choreographer Gaitsch also make good use of the theater space, with entrances, exits, and several dance sequences moving among the seated patrons."- Tina Farmer
"Choreographer Sam Gaitsch complements the music with a furious, athletic treatment of “The Bitch of Living” (echoing the Broadway production) and turns the tender pairings of “Touch Me” into a kind of last dance on prom night, as deliciously weary couples sway in each other’s arms." - Judith Newmark
"Sam Gaitsch’s spirited choreography {...} brings a buoyant bounce to the steps of the budding teens whose angst is on display throughout the work’s two acts."
"And, at last set into context, the act two anthem finally makes sense: generating great excitement with the help of Sam Gaitsch's thundering choreography."
"With Intrinsic, Consuming Kinetics Brings the Four Elements to LifE"
Sam's work, "Smother" Dave Moore Photography 2017
September 2017
Elizabeth Semko
"Despite the different ways the choreographers have taken on the theme, all the pieces tie into the company's goal of communicating to the audience — specifically, in cases like Gaitsch's piece, to remind them that we're part of a delicate ecosystem."
"WUSTL PAD presents ‘Urinetown’ The Musical in Edison Theatre"
October 2017
Sam served as Assistant Choreographer to Christine Knoblauch O'Neal
‘Macbeth’ delivers intimate reflection upon contemporary morality
Feb/Mar 2017
Hannah Marias, Brandon Krisko, and Sam as the Witches in Macbeth at WashU
Consuming Kinetics Explores "Support" in Its New Show at the Kranzberg
April 2016
Elizabeth Semko
Sam performs the solo "For Kim" Choreographed by Kameron Saunders
"Thinking on Her Feet"
Washington University in St. Louis "Class Acts Series" 2015
Interview with Liam Otten
"I think dance has helped me train as a person — in terms of discipline, time management, taking constructive criticism, interacting with other people, and taking time for self-care. In psychology, you definitely learn things about personal health and wellness that apply to dance as well."