Samantha Hope Galler

Galler is a native of Bedford, Massachusetts and began her ballet training at age 5 under Frances Kotelly at The Ballet Academy, Inc. Her years at the school focused on applying the Cecchetti Method along with the techniques of partnering beginning at age 9.  From 2004-2008, she continued year-round with the Boston Ballet School and was awarded the PAO Merit Scholarship. At Boston Ballet, she continued to study the Cecchetti method while also training in the Vaganova, Bournonville, and French methods.  Summers and winters were spent with the Boston Ballet school, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet; Marcia Dale Weary, the Northeast School of Ballet; Denise Cecere, the Boston Conservatory, and training with Nancy Bielski in New York City beginning at age 12.  After graduating from the Boston Ballet School Trainee program, she joined Cincinnati Ballet in 2008 as an Anthony Albano and K. Ann Choe–Albano Fellow under direction of Victoria Morgan. Galler then joined Alabama Ballet from 2009-2014 under direction of Tracey Alvey and Roger Van Fleteren and was privileged to perform most corps de ballet, soloist and principal roles in the Alabama Ballet repertoire throughout those five years.  

 In May 2014, she joined Miami City Ballet, under direction of Lourdes Lopez, as a 1st year Corps de ballet member.  In February 2018, she was promoted to Soloist following a performance of Jerome Robbins' In the Night.  In January 2022, she was promoted to Principal Soloist and in October 2023 to Principal dancer on an evening where she performed the Russian Girl in Serenade (Balanchine) the Ballet Woman in In the Upper Room (Tharp), and in Sea Change (Roberts).  

Since joining MCB, Galler has performed corps de ballet, soloist, and principal roles in a wide range of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Justin Peck, Durante Verzola, and Amy Hall Garner ballets and was honored to be chosen to perform Odette and Odile in Alexei Ratmansky's Swan Lake, first for its North American premiere in 2022, again in 2024, and most recently in June 2025.   

In 2025, Galler founded Fifth Position Path | The Dancers’ Mentor; a dance mentorship tool for students, professionals, and families to use to navigate their dance journeys. In 2018, she established the Miami City Ballet Mentorship Program offering the pre-professional division of the Miami City Ballet School. Over five years, she developed a curriculum that promoted the goal of striving for progress not perfection. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and recently graduated from Northeastern University with a Master of Science in Arts Administration and Cultural Entrepreneurship as a Dean's Scholarship recipient. Galler deeply thanks her entire family and husband, Ryan, for their invaluable support.