Sarah Michelson, a choreographer known for her exacting and refined approach to dance, is making a notable return to formal performance with a new work titled "nowhere," showcased at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). This marks a departure from her recent, more intimate presentations, offering an experience accessible to all visitors of the museum.
Michelson’s reemergence follows gradual steps back into formal choreography, beginning with “City of Dancers — the Eternal Return of the Same” (2025), which was part of the Whitney exhibition “Edges of Ailey.” That piece featured Leslie Cuyjet, a choreographer and dancer, who described working with Michelson as a reminder of the essential nature of dance itself. “It reminded me that I could be a dancer, just a dancer and essential, and that dance was enough,” Cuyjet said.
The MoMA presentation brings together a mix of seasoned performers and emerging talent. Alongside Cuyjet, dancers Lauren Baskt, Toni Carlson, Kimiko Tanabe, and Silas Riener perform with 16 fourth-year students from Juilliard’s dance division. The Juilliard program’s director, Melissa Toogood, was enthusiastic about the collaboration, noting that Michelson’s name was not initially familiar to many students. “She’s not really an artist that’s on the students’ radar,” Toogood said. “I wanted to make sure she was.”
Juilliard dancer Mateo Tirres highlighted Michelson’s distinctive creative process, which emphasizes the dancers’ agency in timing and execution. He observed that Michelson’s work demands a deep focus on presence and authenticity rather than traditional technical virtuosity. “The virtuosity exists in the focus of the present and in reality,” Tirres explained, “How committed can you be to this being a real moment?”
Michelson has a history of nurturing young dancers in her major works, including early performances such as “Shadowmanh Parts One and Two” and “Devotion.” Adrienne Swan, who performed in “Shadowmann” at age 11, reflected on the personal growth that working with Michelson fostered, describing it as gaining “a sense of sovereignty and alignment and a kind of discernment.”
Initially, Michelson was apprehensive about working with the highly trained Juilliard students, unsure how to engage with their technical capabilities. However, she soon recognized their genuine interest in dance as an art form, which allowed her to fully embrace the role of mentor. “People don’t talk to them that way and don’t treat them that way as dancers,” she noted. “And so immediately my role became service in a certain way, and as soon as that happened, I was totally relaxed and game on.”
Beyond her artistic pursuits, Michelson is committed to supporting emerging dancers. At the David Zwirner gallery, she established a dance residency program providing studio space and a $10,000 stipend to artists without conditions. Past and current recipients include Leslie Cuyjet and Angie Pittman. Michelson views this mentorship as intertwined with her own creative process and personal history, reflecting on how dance offered her a form of salvation from her upbringing in Manchester.
To further extend access to dance within the museum setting, Michelson arranged for organizations connected to her to receive free admission codes for dancers. This initiative enables dancers to enter MoMA at no cost, regardless of whether they attend Michelson’s performance. “They can look at art, or they can sit in the cafe. They can do whatever they want. It feels like a big win,” she said.