Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah McCullough.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I became infatuated with a performance at a very young age. I loved movies, TV shows, music, and fashion. As an only child, I spent hours memorizing scenes from movies or choreography from music videos and re-enacting them for myself in my room. I had an abundance of energy and an insatiable desire for creative expression. As a result, I tried every activity I could – acting, cheer, karate, soccer, gymnastics, modeling – then I started dancing.
I began taking classes at Seven Hills Dance Studio in Lynchburg, VA under the direction of Julianne Wingfield and Ryan Moody. As I got older and became more passionate about dancing, Ryan became my first mentor to help me actualize a career in dance. For context, I grew up in a small town and I didn’t think dancing professionally was an option for me. My only access points to dance were So You Think You Can Dance and the Step Up cinematic universe. My modern teacher, Ryan, a graduate of the James Madison University and the University of Maryland dance programs, was the first person to give me a glimpse of post-modern and contemporary performance, so she mentored me as I transitioned into a university dance program.
I attended James Madison University on scholarship and pursued a double major in Dance and Mathematics. I initially thought that I would pursue something “in the wings,” so to speak – adjacent to dance, but not as vulnerable as being on a stage. That lasted about one semester until I had an inspiring experience with Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theater, an MN-based dance company in residence at JMU, that forced me to the realization that I needed to keep performing. I knew there was something in me, some raw, untapped potential that needed shaping and molding, but I still needed to put myself out there and pursue performing professionally.
Once my mentality shifted, things started moving very quickly for me. While studying performance, choreography, and mathematical theory, I toured with the Virginia Repertory Dance Company (VRDC), JMU’s pre-professional performance company, from 2016-2018. In 2016, I spent the summer studying contemporary dance in London. I later returned to England in 2018 to perform and teach with VRDC. I was selected to serve as the co-director and choreographer of the Associate Dance Ensemble, JMU’s performance ensemble of freshmen dance majors. In 2018, I have awarded the School of Theatre and Dance’s “Performer of the Year” and was selected to perform “True Confessions: My Boyfriend, Mic”, a solo that was created in collaboration with Shane O’Hara, at the Richmond Dance Festival in Richmond, VA. Immediately following graduation, I decided to move to Minnesota to join Minneapolis’ vibrant dance community.
Since moving to Minnesota in 2018, I have had the pleasure of performing with Black Label Movement, ARENA DANCES, Alexandra Bodnarchuk Dance Projects, HATCH DANCE, HoneyWorks, and more. I have also had a varied and exciting teaching career including teaching at professional dance intensives, public school outreach programs, competitive dance studios, high school dance teams, and more. I am interested in pursuing more performance and teaching opportunities, and I am also investigating ways to integrate the two pursuits.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This is kind of an interesting question to me, because, no, the road has not been easy. However, I feel that the majority of obstacles I face are tied to the mental toll that this career can take. I probably have a career crisis once a month (at least!) Being a freelance artist is just as unsteady as it is exciting. I get to work with so many amazing people on incredible projects, rehearsing tirelessly with dancers and makers I admire dearly, pushing towards the climactic resolution of showcasing our work to share with audiences… and then those projects end and I often have no clue what I’m doing next.
The downswing of this cycle is commonly called “post-show depression” and it can become a low point for me. The cyclical nature of this career is incredibly challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. I often find myself exasperated, wondering where am I going. Where is this taking me? Am I still in the right field? What’s next? Even in a busy season of my life, when everything looks like it’s heading in the right direction, I feel those looming doubts and fears constantly.
Funnily enough, dancing can really help those feelings from becoming unbearable. More specifically, my movement practice centers on mindfulness, so dancing by myself or in class becomes a meditation in movement. That combined with journaling, yoga, spending time outdoors, and therapy has helped me stay on track for the most part.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently working through a busy season! In the fall, I joined Black Label for two premieres, “Canary, Crimson, then Emerald” and “Riding the Maelstrom.” This spring, I will perform in Alexandra Bodnarchuk’s “Rock, Paper, Scissors” – a duet with Nieya Amezquita premiering in March 2023. “Rock, Paper, Scissors” is a project that I have been working on since August 2021, so I am incredibly eager to finally premier this work. In April, I will join Black Label Movement for the 15th-anniversary showing of “Wreck” at The Cowles Center. Then, I will join Berit Ahlgren’s HoneyWorks to premier “CEDARBACKE” as a part of the featured artist lineup at this year’s CANDYBOX Dance Festival. Amidst my booked and busy performance calendar, I am also offering professional contemporary classes at The Arena, ARENA DANCES’ school in Uptown, curating a movement research space rooted in my personal movement practices and philosophies.
My class series at The Arena has become an exciting space for movers at all stages of their practice to dive into their personal research. This was an unexpected result of offering professional-level contemporary classes – creating a class space that isn’t centered on any one form of technique but curated to give space to artists to freely express their practice without aesthetic expectations. Facilitating and witnessing this kind of personal expression has been so humbling, and has led me to think about what’s next for me. I have ambitions of offering more classes throughout the Twin Cities, pursuing higher education to dive deeper into these studies, applying these skills to artistic direction within dance companies, etc.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
As a person working multiple jobs, I am always on the move, so I listen to podcasts all the time.
People who know me know I’m truly a jokester and storyteller at heart – so to show up as my best self, I need a good laugh. My all-time favorite podcasts are “Normal Gossip” and “My Dad Wrote a Porno.” They are truly hilarious and wacky, and I highly recommend them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sarahmccullough.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sar.mccullough/
Image Credits
Bill Cameron, Nic LaFrance, Sarah Ashley Dovolos, and Anna Cummings
