07/24/2026
Samuel Shapiro, a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, began his ballet training under the guidance of his mother, Brantly Shapiro, at Wake Forest University. At age 11, he entered the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he trained with distinguished faculty members including Duncan Noble, Nina Danilova, and Gyula Pandi. At 17, Shapiro was accepted into The Royal Ballet Upper School in London, where he trained for three years and graduated with commendation. During this time, he performed in The Royal Ballet’s productions of Cinderella, La Fille malgardée, The Firebird, La Valse, and Manon. Following his training in London, Shapiro joined Boston Ballet II and performed with Boston Ballet in productions including Giselle and Romeo and Juliet. He then spent two seasons with North Carolina Dance Theatre, performing a diverse repertoire of classical and contemporary works. Among his favorite roles were performances in Dwight Rhoden’s Broken Fantasies and Mark Godden’s Dracula. Shapiro later worked as a freelance artist, touring and performing with Tulsa Ballet, Fort Wayne Ballet, and Ballet Nacional de Panamá. He joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet for the 2011–2012 season, performing works by Larry Keigwin, Benjamin Millepied, and Ethan Stiefel. From 2013 to 2015, Shapiro appeared as a guest artist with various companies while expanding his work as a dance educator. Over the following years, he has collaborated extensively with director James Darrah and choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, performing in acclaimed productions including Opera Omaha’s Semele, Medea, and Proving Up; the San Francisco Symphony’s Das klagende Lied and SoundBox series; Iris at Bard SummerScape; and site-specific performances for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his performing career, Shapiro is a dedicated educator who teaches workshops and master classes throughout the United States. He also serves as a judge and faculty member for Showstopper Dance Competition, where he mentors and educates young dancers across thecountry. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at Wake Forest University.
