Samantha Riester trained at the School of American Ballet from 2012-2015. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet and Miami City Ballet. After graduating from SAB, she joined Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company and was promoted to the main company in 2017. Samantha has danced soloist roles in repertoire such Jiří Kylián’s Sechs Tanze, Pas de Trois in Kirk Peterson’s Swan Lake, Duet Mabul in Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, Curly Cue in Septime Weber’s Wizard of Oz, Beauty Fairy in Devon Carney’s Sleeping Beauty, Summer Fairy in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella, and in Andrea Schermoly’s Swivet.
Samantha has performed numerous ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Henkel Pickett, Ma Cong, Septime Weber, Nicole Fonte, Stephanie Martinez, Adam Hougland, Jennifer Archibald, Garett Smith, Victoria Morgan, Myles Thatcher, David Morse and fellow company members Taylor Carrasco and Daniel Baldwin. Samantha has enjoyed dancing with outside organizations such as the Cincinnati Opera for its 100th anniversary celebration production of Aida, as well as guesting for her home studio in Indiana where she performed principal roles in George Balanchine’s Emeralds and Concerto Barocco.
