Sherrie Barr

Director and Associate Professor of Dance

Sherrie Barr

Sherrie Barr, Associate Professor and Director of Dance, hails from northern New Jersey. She received her BA in dance from Adelphi University in New York and her MFA in performance and choreography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After a decade of teaching, performing, and choreographing, she returned to school in the late 1980s to earn her certification as a Laban Movement Analyst. She has been a faculty member at various universities, including American University’s Department of Performing Arts as Director of the Graduate Dance Program; University of Oregon as Associate Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Dance Studies, and Potsdam State College of New York, Associate Professor and Chair of Dance and Drama.

Throughout the years, Sherrie’s choreography has been presented at numerous venues. Her 2008 solo, Exposed, received recognition as a Maggie Allessee Finalist for new choreography in Michigan. For much of her time in Oregon, Sherrie co-directed TwoDance, a duet company. In 1999, she was the recipient of a Fulbright Lecturing award at The Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal. In addition to her teaching at the university, she was able to teach and choreograph for regional companies, including the Companhia de Dança d’Alamda. In addition to her Laban training, she credits Dan Wagoner, June Finch and Merce Cunningham, recognized master teachers and choreographers, for having a significant influence upon her.

Sherrie’s scholarship, focusing on the juncture of pedagogy and contemporary choreography, has been presented at numerous academic conferences. She has also received recognition through her publications in journals such as Journal of Dance Education and Research in Dance Education. Her research continues to be a spark for her choreography and writing projects, and teaching, her true passion.