Sara Rudner

Sara Rudner, born on February 16, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York, is an American dancer, choreographer, and dance educator whose career has spanned several decades. She began her training at a neighborhood music school and studied ballet with Bella Malinka. She went on to earn a BA from Barnard College and an MFA from Bennington College.

Rudner performed with Paul Sanasardo and other groups before joining Twyla Tharp's dance company as a founding member in 1965, becoming its principal dancer the following year. She remained with the company for twenty years, including Broadway appearances with Twyla Tharp Dance from 1980 to 1984. Beyond her work with Tharp, Rudner performed as a solo artist and collaborated with figures including Dana Reitz, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Christopher Janney.

As a choreographer, Rudner founded and directed the Sara Rudner Performance Ensemble. Her choreographic work has been presented at institutions including the Public Theater, the Santa Fe Opera, and the Paris Opera. Selected works include Dancing-on-View, Heartbeat, 33 Dances, and Dancing-on-View: Preview/Hindsight.

Rudner served as Director of the Dance Program at Sarah Lawrence College until 2019. Her honors include a Bessie Award, a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, a Dance Magazine Award received in 2009, a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and a New York State Council on the Arts fellowship.