Samuel Opsal
Trainee & Conservatory Program Co-Director
Ballet 5:8 Professional Company
Senior Apprentice 2016-2017 | Company Artist 2017-2020
Solo Artist 2020-2023 | Lead Artist 2023-Present
Biography
Samuel Opsal is the Co-Director of the Trainee and Conservatory Programs at Ballet 5:8, a position he has held since 2020. Opsal has been a Lead Artist with the company since 2023. Upon joining Ballet 5:8 in 2016 as a Senior Apprentice Samuel also became part of the faculty for the School of Ballet 5:8, with classes such as Ballet Technique, Pas de Deux, Men’s Technique, Dance History, Anatomy for Dancers and PBT. Prior to his time at Ballet 5:8 he received a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts and trained in Pittsburgh Ballet Theater’s Graduate Program. During that time he trained in pedagogy with Lodi McClellan and Michelle Miller. He also took Master Classes from Bill Evans, Karen Clippinger, and Virginia Johnson. Samuel is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique. As a teacher Samuel continues to develop with reading and podcasts, sharing the latest information on dance science and healthy mindsets with his students.