‘Gallery’ gives dance student time in spotlight
Master of Fine Arts student
Sarah Ebert will perform
in ‘Dance Gallery’ Saturday
night in Gerlinger Annex
By Natasha Chilingerian
Pulse Reporter
The choreographer's role is an es
sential one in the dance business.
Their ideas serve as launching pads for
new dance works while dancers, cho
sen for their talent and stage presence,
convey the choreographers' inventions
to audiences.
But University Master of Fine Arts
dance student Sarah Ebert is focusing
on her role as the communicator —
not the creator — during her journey
as a professional dancer.
"It's my job to bring the choreog
raphy to life, and to slip into what
ever people need me to be," Ebert
said. "It's a vital part to keeping the
art form alive."
Ebert will perform in "Dance
Gallery," a solo concert of pieces by
three different choreographers Satur
day. After graduating in June, Ebert
will join Portland-based modem
dance troupe Minh Tran & Company.
The 27-year-old graduate student
from Kankakee, 111., said her life as a
dancer took its course naturally. She
discovered dance at age 4 after her
parents placed her in a studio, where
she learned tap, jazz and ballet
throughout high school. She also be
gan teaching young children at the
studio, which she called a "rite of pas
sage" for veteran studio dancers, while
also participating in her school's
"pom pom" team.
When she went away to the U niver
sity of Illinois, Ebert said she majored
in dance because of her interest in the
art form and a lack of interest in other
subjects. She completed a bachelor of
fine arts in the university's modern
dance program, which she said de
manded hard work and long hours.
"Undergrad was sort of a blur," she
said. "1 was in the studio all the time. 1
was in a sorority, I suppose, but since I
was never there it was like I wasn't real
ly in one."
After Ebert received her degree in
1998, she went to Chicago and put
her craft to work. She did what she
calls "pick-up" dance work, taking
on different projects with various
dance companies while keeping her
job as a makeup artist. Ebert said her
dance career is a result of a constant
progression rather than a turning
point or realization.
"(Dance) has always been a part
of my life," she said. "There was nev
er one moment where it clicked. It's
just how I express myself, through
movement."
Three years out of college, Ebert de
cided to move out West and return to
the classroom — or in this case, the
studio. She said being a graduate stu
dent and graduate teaching fellow
here at the University is "a number of
full-time jobs at once." Her responsi
bilities include teaching four lower di
vision technique classes per term, tak
ing advanced technique and academic
classes and rehearsing for creative proj
ects outside of class.
Ebert said all her energy is devoted
to the graduate program.
"It is so physically, mentally and
emotionally challenging," she said. "1
put all of myself into my art form, and
I use the same energies in every aspect
of my life."
Besides following a motivation to
leam, Ebert followed her heart to Ore
gon. She had been dating current Uni
versity Department of Dance music di
rector and Professor Christian Cherry
in Illinois when he was hired at the
University. After Ebert investigated the
University's dance program, they de
cided to make the move together.
Now, after a seven-year relationship,
Ebert and Cherry have a Portland wed
ding planned for July.
As a farewell to the University dance
department Ebert will perform as "the
champion of the dancer," as she calls
herself, in "Dance Gallery." The con
cert, which is part of Ebert's final proj
ect as a graduate student, will show
three modern pieces by choreogra
phers Linda K. Johnson and Mary
Oslund. This year's graduate dance
students were required to complete a
written research component as well as
a component involving movement.
"So many people place emphasis
on choreographers," Ebert said. "What
I have to do as a dancer is find ways to
express the choreographers' ideas. I'm
interested in how dancers do that."
Dance professor Walter Kennedy
said her upcoming concert reflects one
of the many ways she has expressed
her interest in performing during her
time at the University.
"For her thesis project, she sought
out the different ways that dancers ex
press choreography," Kennedy said.
"(Emphasizing the importance of the
dancer) is a valid point — the dancer
is the one doing the dancing."
Ebert said she is "in a good place
right now" as she sets off into her next
professional dance job, which she did
n't even have to audition for. Minh
Tran invited Ebert to dance with his
company after he watched her in class
during a recent visit to the University.
When she starts working with Tran,
Ebert plans to split her time between
Portland and Springfield, where she
and Cherry currently live.
Dance department chair Jenifer
Craig, who also is the chair of Ebert's
final MFA project committee, said she
is sure Ebert will make a great contri
bution to Minh Tran & Company.
"She is stunning on stage," Craig
said. "She's demonstrated a high level
of focus on becoming a performer at
Danielle Hickey Photo Editor
Sarah Ebert, an MFA dance student, will join two other choreographers for “Dance Gallery"
in the Gerlinger Annex on Saturday night.
the professional level. That should be
evident in her MFA evening — it's all
solo work."
As a performer, Ebert's goal is not to
become a big star, but to continue as
an important communicator of dance.
"(Dance) isn't about being in the
spotlight," she said. "It's about bring
ing the piece of art to life. Whether or
not that happens in front of an
audience is irrelevant."
"Dance Gallery" will take place at 8
p.m. on the third floor of the Ger
linger Annex; Ebert will perform pro
gressively, with each dance in a differ
ent space. Tickets will be on sale at the
door for $5.
Contact the Pulse reporter at
natashachilingerian@dailyemerald.com.
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