Zone 16
No. 14 Vol. 1
New View Media Group • 1-800-691-7549
January 16, 2018
Love For Dance Takes Local Teen On Adventure Overseas
W
By Cheryl Conway hile many of her peers may have chosen college as the next step after high school, one 2017 graduate of Pequannock Township High School decided to take a journey cruising around the world as a dancer vocalist. Life-long Pompton Plains resident, Samantha Murphy, who many know as “Sami,” is traveling the world with a job on Royal Caribbean International cruise lines doing what she enjoys most- dancing. After auditioning for the position in June after graduation, the 18-year old landed a nine month gig to perform on the cruise lines from November 2017 to July 2018. “It’s been an amazing adventure so far,” says her mom Susan Murphy. “When she turned 18 in March she started to audition in NYC and in June she auditioned for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and she was selected as one of only six dancers across the United States to join the cast on “Ovation of the Seas” as a paid professional dancer vocalist.” She began rehearsals in Florida in September at the Royal Caribbean training and headquarters facility in Miami, Murphy says. “She trained and rehearsed there for six weeks and from there flew to Hong Kong to join the ship. She performs in their trademark shows “Live Love Legs” and
“The Beautiful Dream,” which are Broadway caliber shows. So far she has traveled to Hong Kong, China, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.” Since she was three years old, Samantha Murphy trained at the Performing Arts Academy under the direction of Dawn LaViola Schaub. By the time she was six, she began dancing competitively, her mom says. She has won many regional and national dance and acrobatic titles over the years and she just finished her last competition season this past July in Atlantic City where she was awarded first Runner up to Miss Dance of the United States. She has also performed in many productions in local theaters, including Rhino Theater, where she played leading roles in musicals such as “Cats,” “Legally Blonde” and “Seussical.” At nine years old, she was selected to be a member of the United States Dance and Acrobatic Team under the direction of Sean and Natasha Flanagan. She traveled with the team and performed at many venues across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida which included Disney World and Universal Studios. “From a young age Sami has always wanted to have a career as a dancer and hopes one day to be a Radio City Rockette,” says Murphy. “She has been a part
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of the Rockette Summer Invitational Intensive Program in NYC, acceptance by audition only, for the past four years. “Although she misses her family and friends she loves the ship life and being able to dance and perform for a live audience each day,” her mom says. “She has really worked hard over the years as a dancer and performer and we feel like it has really paid off. To quote her daughter, Murphy shares: “Not only am I living my dream as a professional dancer, but I am also traveling the world. I am loving every second!”
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