Meet Shellee Samuels

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shellee Samuels.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story begins before my existence, with my parents who migrated all the way from the beautiful island of Jamaica to Inglewood California. I was born and raised in Inglewood and began training as soon as I could walk; on Pico Blvd at Lula Washington Dance Theatre. Years later, I attended the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and Wendy Raquel Robinsons Amazing Grace Conservatory. I began working professionally quite early. My mom says, there was no denying that I was an artist. At about eight years old, I booked my first commercial, a Sprint national commercial. I remember I walked in the audition and the casting director asked if I knew how to jump rope. I said, “of course me and my cousins jump rope on the block all the time”, I then proceeded to pull out my rope and start jumping singing, “Lil Sally Walker”. The casting director loved it and brought me out to the lobby where all the other little girls and their moms were and told me to do it again. I started jumping rope and he says, “if you’re daughter can’t jump like this you can go, this is exactly what we’re looking for”!!! My mom was so embarrassed, but I booked the job. After watching me on set for the first time sitting in my trailer, getting my hair and makeup done, smiling take after take in front of that camera, never complaining about being tired or bothered by all the bright lights, and all the people watching me shoot my scene; that’s when my mom knew I truly loved doing this. This is how I got started in “Show Biz”.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wish I could say it’s been a smooth road but it hasn’t. In this industry you hear “No” way more than you hear “Yes”. You have to learn how to navigate through an industry that will directly tell you, you’re not right for a part. Sometimes you might hear you’re not thin enough, you’re too tall, too short, too thick, not thick enough, not sexy enough, edgy enough, wrong body type, etc.

One of the biggest struggles along the way for me was being let go from an agency that represented me most of my career. I was a senior at Loyola Marymount University. Imagine senior year of college being eager and on fire to jump back into the industry and then you receive an email saying, “we’ve decided to let you go, we understand you have other obligations with school blah blah blah”. I was heartbroken and devastated because I worked my butt off to graduate college an entire year early (yes I obtained my bachelor’s degree in just three years) just so I could start working consistently again in the industry sooner. When you graduate college, you already feel like a lost puppy looking for a home (home meaning a job). Now, the security of an agency to assist me with getting those jobs gone so I felt extra lost. I remember calling my mom in tears not because I regretted going to college but because I knew what was happening to me was unfair. I struggled for a moment and then I thought about how amazing my time in college was. I became a devastating diva in the tremendously divine Tau Delta chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I was co-president of one of the dopest Hip Hop crews on my campus and my senior year we organized the first ever LMU’S Best Dance crew event. I met my two lifelong best friends. After college I got to experience working in public relations, artist management and spent sometime working with record labels, music artist, creating press kits, and managing artist bookings. So, although a struggle it was still a blessing in decide because I gain so much during the time I was unrepresented by an agency.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an early education teacher, professional dancer, and actress. I have performed on stages with artist that I use to dream about sharing the stage with one day. I love stage show performances and I have been blessed to perform at many award shows and festivals. Recently, I performed on The Voice with Megan Trainor and later with Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin. I’ve performed at the Kids Choice Awards with Outkast, BET Awards once with French Montana and later with Sugarbear and Regina Hall, MTV Movie Awards with Lizzo, and the Video Music Awards with Rihanna. Festivals are epic to perform at too. There’s something so special about making eye contact with people and performing right to them. It’s like an exchange of energy. I performed at the Adult Swim Festival with Kamaiyah, Osheaga fest with Leikeli 47, Coachella a couple of times once with Beyonce’ and later with Burna Boy. I also was given the opportunity to fly to South Africa and perform at the Global Citizens festival with Pharrell.

Another aspect of my career as dancer is performing in music videos. Recently I had the amazing pleasure of being apart of The Lion King performing in Beyonce’s “Spirit” and “Bigger” music videos. I also was just apart of Inglewood’s very own D-Smokes music video called, “Honey Jack”. Other music videos I’ve done led me to work with artist like Kelis, Kanye West, X-Zibit, Quavo, Tyga, Wizkidd, Blackeyed Peas, and many others.

I usually don’t think about what sets me apart from others because that would require me to compare myself to another person. I’m not big on comparisons. I believe God took his time in creating everyone distinctively different. He blessed me with talents and gifts that have led me to experience some of the greatest moments of my life. If I had to say what set me apart, I guess I would say my faith. I trust God to order my steps and that whatever he has ordained for my life will not miss me.

I am most proud that with God’s guidance I am able to just experience my dreams being fulfilled daily. It’s an amazing feeling to do these things while also working as full-time early education teacher and a grad school student at USC. It makes me most proud to see the impact my career, drive, passion, and determination have on my students. When their parents send me videos of them dancing in the living room or sending me pictures of their children pointing at Ms. Shellee whenever I’m on the screen. Overall, I’m most happy when I get to accomplish or utilize all the gifts I was blessed with.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I don’t know if I can narrow down and choose one proudest moment. Whenever I book a job, I still get overwhelmed with joy and excitement as if it was my first one. Every time I get the opportunity to do what I love for a living is a proud moment. But to be quite honest, the moments that me the proudest are when I get to come back to work and here my students tell me they saw me dancing or they want to dance on stage someday. The proudest moments are when I get to sit down and talk with a group of kids growing up in my neighborhood, Inglewood that is; and I can print out pictures of me dancing with celebrities and seeing their eyes light up because me standing before them is proof and evidence that it’s possible. There is a huge sense of pride and responsibility to be the first person some of these kids meet doing what they dream of doing one day. To be that sense of hope makes me proud.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ishellee
• Facebook: Shellee Samuels

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.