Ms. Samantha Pulsifer-James is a devoted wife, proud mom, and passionate dance educator originally from New Hampshire. She began dancing at a young age and has trained extensively in multiple styles, with opportunities that have taken her to New York, Africa, London, Boston, and beyond—shaping her versatile and culturally rich approach to dance.

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Ms. Samantha has had the honor of teaching at the legendary Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio, where she continued to refine her craft and deepen her love for mentoring dancers of all ages. 

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In 2018, she proudly opened Sampul Dance Academy in Chatsworth, CA, with a vision to provide high-quality dance education in a nurturing and inclusive environment. As a YPAD Certified studio owner and proud member of More Than Just Great Dancing, Ms. Samantha is committed to safety, leadership, and inspiring confidence in every child who walks through her doors.

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Her mission is simple: to bring exceptional dance training to the Los Angeles Valley while creating a place where every dancer feels seen, supported, and celebrated.

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Why Sampul? Come for Dance, Stay for Community! 💛

Ms. Christa has been born and raised in Southern California. She started off dancing at the age of 3 at her pre-school. When she got older she ventured into theater and color guard, but dance was where her heart belonged.

At the age of 14 she joined a dance studio for the second time in her life. She trained, as well as, competed in different styles of dance in her studio time.

After High School she joined Fullerton College's Dance program where she graduated and expanded her knowledge of dance. She is about to enter her masters program for Kinesiology.

Ms. Christa is very excited to share her passion for dance and everything she has learned with the students at Sampul Dance Academy.​​

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With over 15 years of experience, CJ Jackson is an internationally trained dance educator,

choreographer, and performer. His career has taken him around the world, such as Canada,

Cuba, Jamaica, the US & Asia teaching and performing across diverse communities in live

performances, commercials & film.

He specializes in the genre Acrobatics, but also in Jazz, Contemporary, Hiphop & Dancehall.

CJ continues to grow his career through performance and teaching, with a focus on creating

impactful work and expanding opportunities within the global dance industry.

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Ms. Bri is a proud alumni of Sampul.

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She has been training in all styles of dance since the age of 6 and loves teaching her students. She enjoys sharing her passion of dance with others and watching them grow.

Ms.Bri is currently training and working towards becoming a convention instructor & professional dancer while going to College to continue her education. She loves being a part of the Sampul team.

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Ms. Saryh Deadmon is a hip-hop fusion dancer from Southern California who has grown up as a self taught artist. She's now taking the industry route and constantly working on her craft as well as helping train others to develop theirs as well.

She has graduated with a degree from CSUN in Theatre and Dance. She was the 2023-2024 President of Cal State University Northridge Hip Hop Team.

She follows anything that she can adapt to through her passions not only including dance but also video production and the music industry. When she's not teaching class you can catch her behind the desk as our fabulous office manager.

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Eliana Gonzalez is a Sampul Alumni and has been dancing since she was 3 years old.

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She has trained in many different styles of dance like tap, ballet, jazz, and contemporary.​

She's currently a student at Cal State Fullerton where she's studying biology to someday become a Pediatrician.

She loves watching her students grow each and every week and is happy to continue being a part of the Sampul family!​

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Brooklyn Piano has been dancing since the age of two and spent 13 years training as a dancer and she also competed for 10 years. She is well-versed in a wide range of styles. She aspires to pursue a career as a professional dancer. Outside of teaching at studios throughout the Valley, she continues to train, take classes, and audition, always striving to grow as an artist. She is in college studying Kinesiology.

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Lily Grigorian has been dancing for 18 years and still counting! She's been introduced to a variety of different styles from such a young age including; ballroom, ballet, folk dances, tap, contemporary and many more. Growing up in the dance world she's been both a performer and a competitor.

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In 2018 she won the Embassy Ballroom Championships and remained a member of the NDCA. She loves being part of the Sampul Dance family! Continue to pursue the world of dance, one of the most beautiful art forms!

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Hailey was born and raised in Los Angeles, and started dancing when she was three years old and fell in love with every part of it. She started competing and seriously training when she was in middle school. She later graduated from her local studio and went to CLI Dance Conservatory to get professional training under Teddy Forance with over a hundred other professionals throughout the year. 

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She's been teaching various styles for the past 5 years, but jazz is her ultimate favorite. She is still continuing her own dance journey while learning and growing as a teacher and mentor as well! 

Maria Ochoa is a professional dancer, bgirl and dance instructor with more than 15 years of experience across multiple dance styles and over 10 years of competitive breakdancing. She has performed and competed throughout Mexico, South America, and the United States, earning recognition as a Top 8 finalist at Bgirl City in Houston, Texas, and qualifying for Freestyle Session in Los Angeles, California.

Maria specializes in breaking, hip hop, popping, waacking, ballet, and jazz. She is passionate about teaching and has extensive experience working with students of all ages, particularly children and young adults. Her teaching background includes serving as an instructor where she has inspired students through engaging instruction, strong technical knowledge, and a positive, supportive approach.

She received a three-year scholarship for professional dance training at Black Studio in Mexico City and completed five years ofprofessional classical ballet and jazz training at Hamas Dance Studio. Maria continues to build onher expertise through self-directed training and workshops with internationally recognizedbreakers, bringing both technical excellence andauthentic experience to every class, performance, and mentorship opportunity.

Jonathan Engstrom is a vocal coach based out of the San Fernando Valley. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Music and Music Education from CSU Northridge. When he decided to go to college, he knew he wanted to teach because of his passion for working with others. Originally, he had intended to work in a classroom setting, but several inspirational teachers motivated him to work in a more personalized setting. 

He​ has several years of experience teaching students of all ages. He has served as Music Director/Vocal Coach for several shows, including productions such as Mary Poppins, The Pirates of Penzance, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He has also served as Music Director for many children’s shows, including Pinkalicious: the Musical, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, and Jingle Arrgh the Way. He also has extensive performance experience, having acted since I was 4 years old. Some of my favorite roles include Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, and a Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.​

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