Sara gaydash Ordway, ARtistic Director

When I was three years old I can remember memorizing Veruca Salt’s choreography in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I remember standing on the back of the couch and falling down the trash chute, and I remember getting mad at my mom for watching from around the doorway. Soon after, she took me to my first tap class. A year later, my first ballet class. It wasn’t so much “love at first sight” as it was “coming home”. Throughout my life, dancing was the thing that constantly made sense for me.

Navigating my dance education and later my career, wasn’t always easy. I didn’t have a mentor who had been on a similar journey to mine. A small town, American girl who felt good when she danced and had changes at puberty that weren’t considered ideal for the industry, but who decided to make a career of it anyway. It was a simple decision for me. The easiest decision (we all like making those!). I loved dancing more than anything. And I knew I could make it on my own. When I think back on all the struggles I went through: the tears, the late nights, the identity crises, I discovered that the thing that got me through it all was confidence and self love. I always knew I could do it, even on days when I told myself I couldn’t. I always loved me most, even on days I made choices that hurt me.

When I opened Ordway Conservatory, I had a lot of reasons. The most obvious was that I had wanted to open my own studio since I was nine years old. Just another thing that made me feel good. But looking deeper, to the real reason, I wanted to be that person that I didn’t have. The one who could relate to small town American girls and boys with big dreams. Maybe they wouldn’t have the confidence and self love that I’ve always had an abundance of. Why couldn’t I share mine with them?

I have failed in my life and made mistakes. But I was never afraid of failing. I always knew that I would succeed at the things that made me feel good. And now I teach my students to do the same.

To contact Ms Sara, email sara@ordwayballet.com

What does she teach?

Ms Sara choreographs all of our productions and coaches our competition dancers. She teaches all levels and types of dance when needed and is the instructor for Company Ballet, Intermediate 3 and Intermediate 2.

training

• Over 30 years of dance experience, over 16 years teaching experience

• Ohio Conservatory of Ballet (under Vaganova School graduates Inna Stabrova and Dmitiry Tuboltsev)

• School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Harid Conservatory, Ballet Met, Kirov Academy all on scholarship

• Certified in Progressing Ballet Technique

• Certified in Vaganova Method

awards

• “Youth Grand Prix Award”, best overall dancer (Youth America Grand Prix 2003)

• Recognized as “Gifted in the Arts” by the state of Ohio

• High School Valedictorian, 2006

• Finalist at the USA International Ballet Competition (nicknamed the Olympics of Ballet, 2010)

• Finalist at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando (2011)

• Pointe Magazine Video of the Month Winner for her portrayal of Odette in Swan Lake (2012)

• Finalist at Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (2013)

• HCHY Local Hero Award (2019)

• Finalist for the Kathleen K. Seefeldt Award “Outstanding Arts Educator” in 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022

• Prince William Living Influential Women Award, 2022

• Bronze Stevie® Award 2022 for Best Female Entrepreneur of the Year - Business Services - 10 or Less Employees

• Gold Stevie® Award 2023 for Company of the Year - Business Services

Has worked with

• Richard Moore, Inna Stabrova, Dmitriy Tuboltsev, Sergei Fokin, Cassandra Crowley, Jennifer Catazora Hayward, Angelo Lemmo

• Suzzane Pilarre, Suki Schorer, Sheryl Ware, Laura Alonso, Victoria Schneider, Christoper Caines, Gus Giordano, Ludmila Morkovina, Peff Modelski

has been featured in

• History Channel Miniseries “The World Wars” as “the ballerina” (IMDB credit as Sara Gaydash, 2014)

• The cover of “Dance Feature Magazine” for their inaugural issue September 2017

• As a guest artist in “Dancer of Japan” performed at the Kennedy Center 2018

• Dance Teacher and Pointe Magazine

professional career

• Principal Dancer with Manassas Ballet Theatre (2006-2018)

• Guest performer with Baltimore Ballet, Metropolitan Ballet Theatre, Ohio Conservatory of Ballet, various galas and benefits across the country

• Signature roles include: Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Kitri (Don Quixote), Myrtha (Giselle), Lilac Fairy (Sleeping Beauty), Nikiya (La Bayadere), Medora (Le Corsaire), Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), Diana (Diana and Acteon), Kitty (Anna Karenina)