Swan Song - Dancer Samantha Klanac Campanile transitions to retirement

Santa Fe Reporter: The career of a ballet dancer is notoriously short. In addition to injury, the demands of constant rehearsals and tours generally cause ballet dancers to hang up their shoes earlier than professionals in other dance forms.

Samantha Klanac Campanile is retiring from Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) this fall after 15 seasons—a longer tenure than any other company member. Sept. 3 marks her final performance in Santa Fe, and Campanile describes the occasion as emotional and bittersweet. At only 33 years old, she isn’t sure what her future holds, but says the timing feels right.

Campanile joined ASFB after completing her first year as an undergraduate dance major in 2002 at SUNY Purchase in New York. During her second semester as a freshman, she decided that if she wanted to dance professionally, she needed to begin auditioning. She met ASFB artistic director Tom Mossbrucker and its executive director, Jean-Philippe (JP) Malaty, at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. She had just turned 19, and had no previous professional experience, but they invited her to Aspen for the summer.

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