Samuel McIntosh
Samuel McIntosh is a dancer, choreographer, and Hip Hop ambassador specializing in various street styles but specifically Popping, Animation, and Boogaloo. He has been dancing for 15 years; learning from some of the most influential dancers and pioneers such as the Poppin Pete, Jazzy J, Sweepy, the Electric Boogaloo’s, Slick Dogg of G-Style, Brian “Footwork” Green, Elite Force Crew and many more. One of his first teachers/mentors were Valley Style Locking legend, Richard Lechner, and fellow Cleveland native, Anthony “Tony Fresh” Velez.
Samuel has competed, placed, and won nationally and internationally to some of the most renowned street dance events acorss the United States. Such events include Step Ya Game Up in New York City (Quarter Finalist), Kings of New York International Popping Battle (Finalist), Out Of The Shadows in Chicago (Winner), Nightmare on Rockwell st. in Chicago (Finalist), Under Pressure: International Street Dance and Graffiti Convention in Montreal, Quebec (Semi-Finalist), and Freestyle Session in Los Angeles. Samuel also has premiered, staged, performed work, and gave lectures in Greater Cleveland and across Ohio. Notable events and places include Cleveland Dance Festival, Severance Music Hall, the historic Karamu House, Kent State University, as well as nationally such as Peridance Center, Cutting Room NYC, Gibney Dance Center in New York City, The 25th Anniversay Pro AM Jam in Miami, Florida, and lastly American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina.
Samuel is also an administrative professional with a degree in arts administration from Baldwin Wallace University. In 2016, he received the Arts Administration Fellowship from the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been an award recipient of the 2019 Cleveland Arts Prize Verge Fellowship, the 2020 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, and a 2020 college of the arts distinguished alumni and faculty award recipient receiving the Arts Advocacy Award.
Samuel believes Hip Hop culture can help develop and cultivate the surrounding community when the 5 values (Peace, Unity, Love, Having Fun, and Knowledge) are present and educated. He believes by having these values present, this culture can create a sense of empowerment and individualism that turns into high level problem solvers, thinkers, actors of change, and of course movement artists.