Samantha and Brian

Samantha and Brian are dance partners trained in a multitude of dance styles, growing up studying ballet, jazz, modern, tap, and theatre, and into their professional career studying the social, partnered dance forms. The two are alumni of New York University, Samantha from Tisch School of the Arts/Dance and Brian from Steinhardt, where they met and began their dance partnership. Since then they have become specialists in Lindy Hop/Swing and the Vintage Jazz Dances (Charleston, 1920's Animal Dances, Peabody, Shag) with a wide knowledge of the ballroom dances (Waltz, Foxtrot, Salsa, Cha Cha, Hustle, American Tango). They thrive for opportunities to combine their vast knowledge and training in many different dance forms to create and perform new and engaging work.

As dance partners, a collection of Samantha and Brian’s performance credits include television (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Tonight Show Starting Jimmy Fallon) and music videos (Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Go Robot”), and in performance venues such as Gateway Playhouse, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow, Fire Island Dance Festival, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, The Delacorte Theatre, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

As directors and choreographers, Samantha and Brian direct the Broadway show Swing! for Norwegian Cruise Line as well as My Revolution from the Burn The Floor team. Together they directed and choreographed the national tour of A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Brian is the Assistant Director/Choreographer for Distant Thunder. The pair have also worked in pre-production for Andy Blankenbuehler for Bandstand (Broadway, Papermill).

As instructors, Samantha and Brian have taught in Paris, London, and India and teach group and private lessons around the U.S. and their hometown of New York City. 

Samantha Lawton hails from the Bay Area of California where she performed musical theater and trained at a dance competition studio in jazz, contemporary, tap, ballet, hip-hop, and tumbling. She continued on to train in modern and ballet at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts' Dance Department and Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (Austria). She was a Vegas Finalist for Season 5 for So You Think You Can Dance, in Jazz/Contemporary. She hit the ground running in full force when she met Brian and he introduced her to Lindy Hop, and opened up a whole new world! Samantha's special skills include fancy rollerskating, aerial harness, bungee dance, and acrobatics. 

Brian Lawton trained at Pennsylvania School of the Arts in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and theater. Attending New York University, he was President of the NYU Swing Dance Society and the Ballroom Latin Team. He shares the same mentors in Lindy Hop as Samantha, including Laura Jeffers (Big Apple Lindy Hoppers), Michael Jagger and Evita Arce (Syncopated City Dance Company), and Ryan Francois and Jenny Thomas. Brian is also well-versed in both the competitive and social styles of Latin and Ballroom dancing as an instructor and award-winning competitor. Brian is a stringed-instrument enthusiast, with his favorite instrument to play being the ukulele. He's also got mean cane game. 

Samantha Siegel and
Brian LawtoN

dance@samantha-and-brian.com

Samantha Siegel
510-449-1432
samanthalsiegel@gmail.com

Brian Lawton
215-500-7453
briantlawton@gmail.com

@sam_and_brian

You can also learn more about us here: