| Sarah is a sixth year PhD candidate in history who specializes in Modern American history, visual culture, gender studies, and dance history. Her dissertation, "Elevated: Ballet and American Culture, World War II to the National Endowment for the Arts," locates the popularity of ballet in the United States in the trans-Atlantic exchange of goods, ideas, and people that followed World War II, and argues that mass, consumer oriented culture, particularly film, television, and popular theater, were important in disseminating images of ballet to new audiences. Sarah is particularly interested in dance as evidence of contemporary attitudes towards gender and sexuality. This dissertation is advised by Lois Banner, Steve Ross, and Alice Echols. Sarah grew up in Bergen County, New Jersey and graduated from Vanderbilt University with majors in history and educational studies. Following a brief stint in student affairs, she succumbed to the call of the University and entered USC in 2003. She lives in the San Fernando Valley with her husband, Adam, and welcomes inquiries into her research and the graduate program. |
