Main content

Sarah Stackhouse

Associate Professor Emerita of Dance

Dance pioneer Sarah Stackhouse came of age as a dancer in New York City during the 1960s. In 1958, she joined the José Limón Company, working also as Limón’s assistant at the Juilliard School. The choreographers and dancers with whom she worked and studied during this time include—in addition to Limón—Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Merce Cunningham, and the ballet great, Anthony Tudor.

In 1969, she left America and moved to Italy. She returned to the U.S. in 1972 and began teaching in the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College. Today, Stackhouse is one of the leading stagers who sets Limón’s ballets on dance companies around the globe.

Dance critic Jennifer Dunning said of Stackhouse, “Her gifts have been forged in the fire of dance history.”

2015 interview with Sarah Stackhouse:
“My Career Choice: Sarah Stackhouse – Dancer, Teacher, and Stager of the Dance Works of José Limón,” by Charlene Giannetti