Sarah Stranovsky A Renaissance Woman for Our Time

Author: Lucie Greene

The first thing that strikes you after meeting Sara Stranovsky '04 is her energy. When you contemplate the member of groups she's involved in, it's difficult to imagine how one person could participate in and be talented at quite so much.
It was refreshing to meet someone like her in an environment where many are concerned, even in their extracurricular activities, primarily with their career and academic advancement. Stranovsky seems quite literally driven to create, be it through dance, music, design or writing.
And this, too, with an enthusiasm and down-to-earth friendliness that makes her altogether endearing. The Middlebury Campus caught up with her in between bracelet designing (she does this too), poetry writing, rehearsals for Sharipoons and RIDDIM dance rehearsals - does she ever stop? - to gain better insight into one of the most visible and talented women on campus.
The Campus: So Sara, where are you from?
Sara Stranovsky: Haha! Summit New Jersey. I think I need to hide now.
The Campus: How did you first get started singing and dancing at school?
S.S: My mom was an artist and my dad was a ski racer so, since my main activities growing up were all in the areas of art and ski racing, I suppose I sort of took after them. I took classes at a professional ballet school that was pretty much as intensive as you can get without taking your academic courses there and trained in ballet, sprinkled with other dance forms.
After breaking my leg in 11th grade from ski racing, I had to sort of step back a little to heal. So I got really into doing plays, poetry and singing in a jazz band. I guess I started singing in school because I stuck to the music and art electives. My social life consisted of immersing myself in any sort of performance and artistic opportunity available. Not much has changed, really.
The Campus: I see. So how did you first get involved when you got to Middlebury?
S.S: I would stop to check out all the bulletin boards - writing all the dates and times for auditions for groups all over my arm and hand. Basically, I knew what kinds of groups I wanted to join and sought them out, and if I didn't, they just sort of found me I guess.
The Campus: How many things are you involved in exactly?
S.S. Sharipoons Funk Brigade, RIDDIM, Mischords. There's a few. Plus I write songs and play guitar, write poetry, design bracelets. I was in the Dance Company of Middlebury Cuba project and am a snowboard instructor.
The Campus: (Phew. Waiting as the color returns to Sara's face after taking a much-needed breath.) So you do a lot then. What are your favorite artists and greatest inspirations?
S.S: That's such a hard question, because as much as I sing, I feel like there's always just worlds of things that I don't know about or have yet to listen to. Most of the music I listen to these days ranges from unknown garage bands to Ella to the latest CD I find on my floor.
Hmmm... I guess if I could describe how I want to sing, I'd want to take Ella Fitzgerald's bouncy sweetness, Ani Difranco's guitar skills and lyrics, the bold energy of ska, that catchy essence from one or two radio hits, and some sort of sultry funk.
What does that give? Jabluesifunkifolkrock. But I can't really do that. I can only perform as myself.
The greatest thing about funk music (I think that's what we're labeling the stuff we play in Sharipoons) is its energy. There's nothing like singing and having all of your best pals from dance class dancing close enough to slap you a high five.
The Campus: Again, what is it about dance? Do you have a favorite medium or genre?
S.S: You may begin to notice a trend here. I cannot focus on anything, even within artistic worlds.
There are genres within genres within subjects that I absolutely love and have to try to do! For dance, more street-oriented genres such as funk and hip-hop are always fun and inspirational, and they help you become an overall versatile dancer.
Likewise, ballet, martial arts, jazz and modern help inform each other as well. The downfall in trying to do everything is that you feel like for each individual activity, you could have done better if you only did that thing... but that's just not me. The determination is, but I need versatility and variety.
The Campus: So where do you think this will lead? Are you ambitious to take this into a career after leaving?
S.S: Is there a career for the Renaissance woman? Hmm... This is the question I have been struggling with indefinitely.
This is what I will do: I will multitask it on Broadway (singing, dancing, acting etc.), while singing in a rock band, while owning an interior and costume design company, while selling artwork, while going to grad or medical school, while getting the Nobel prize for my illustrated poetry, while giving lectures on my book, "How to Be in Ten Different Places at Once."
I'd like to make it happen, but it will be just in bits and pieces with some mental breakdowns along the way. But I'm an artist, and that's what I need, right? (Tentative smile) I think that my conflict between artist and successful businesswoman will never relieve itself.
The Campus: Finally, and a good chance to plug, what events will you be appearing in soon?
S.S: Hopefully Sharipoons will be Funking it up with some gigs soon.
Ellen Smith '05 and I are also showing our semester modern dance duet work in the CFA during the last week of classes.
I have a Grille show end of May (soon!), and the Mischords will be performing on May 9.
The Campus: Good luck, Sara. Thanks very much.
S.S: Thanks.