OUR STORY
DONNA SCRO SAMORI
Donna Scro Samori is the Artistic Director of Freespace Dance and a seasoned dance artist with over twenty years of professional touring experience. A recipient of the 2008 New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship for excellence in choreography, she has performed at renowned venues worldwide — including the Paris Opera House, Jacob's Pillow, the Joyce Theater, and Lincoln Center Out of Doors — earning praise from the New York Times, the Village Voice, and the Boston Globe, among others. Her performing career includes principal roles with the Nikolais and Murray Louis Dance Company, founding membership in Sean Curran Company, and guest work with numerous acclaimed New York choreographers.
A Magna cum Laude BFA graduate of Montclair State University, Donna currently serves as a dance adjunct professor and as the Wellness Coordinator for the Department of Theatre and Dance at her alma mater. She has also commissioned and created work for schools and institutions throughout the region. Beyond dance, she holds an MSW from Rutgers University and is a practicing Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) at Light Street Psychotherapy and a Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher (500-ERYT).
OUR MISSION
Our mission is built on collaboration, inclusion, and the belief that dance belongs to everyone. Artistic Director Donna Scro creates bold, athletic, and deeply human work that connects with audiences of all ages and backgrounds — uniting composers, musicians, visual artists, and dancers to rediscover the art form through each new collaboration. We are committed to equity and diversity in all that we do: creating space for a wide range of voices, celebrating difference in all its forms, and ensuring dance remains accessible to every community we serve — because great art thrives when all are welcome.
Lisa Grimes
Managing Director
lisa@freespacedance.com
FREESPACE DANCE
Freespace Dance is a contemporary modern dance company known for emotionally driven work with a bold, athletic style, presenting humanistic works described as pieces that go straight to the heart. The company has performed at top venues including BAM, Jazz at Lincoln Center, NJPAC, and Jacob's Pillow, and made its European debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to critical acclaim. Committed to collaboration and education, Freespace partners with live musicians and guest artists and conducts residencies throughout New Jersey. In 2025, the company launched the Montclair Dance Festival to great success — drawing more than 800 attendees and uniting youth studios, professional companies, university programs, and independent artists on one shared platform, celebrating dance from across the state.