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Sondra Forsyth
New York, NY

My Bio: Sondra Forsyth is the Founder and Artistic Director of Ballet Ambassadors, an arts-in-education company funded by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Education. Children in underserved schools and homeless shelters share the stage with professional ballet dancers in Sondra's adaptations of the classics as well as her original ballets. The company also reaches youngsters in schools on Long Island and was in residence at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center for six summers. Sondra has served as a guest teacher for the American Ballet Theatre open classes and on the faculty of The School at Steps on Broadway, the SUNY Purchase Youth Ballet, the Harkness Dance Center of the 92nd Street Y, Belvoir Terrace, the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and Studio de Ballet Opera in Beirut, Lebanon. Sondra co-founded the Huntington School of Ballet and the Huntington Ballet Theatre on Long Island. She trained with Ana Roje, David Howard, and Mme. Gabriella Darvash among other notable teachers. During her performing career, she was a soloist with Thalia Mara's Ballet Repertory and a principal dancer with the New York Dance Theatre and Dance Vectors as well as her own company. Also an editor-turned-freelancer and a Harvard alum, Sondra has authored or co-authored eleven books. Her staff jobs included the posts of Executive Editor at Ladies' Home Journal, Features Editor at Cosmopolitan, and Articles Editor at Bride's. She has a National Magazine Award and an American Digestive Health Award to her credit. Her work has appeared in Dance Magazine and Dance Spirit as well as the major women's magazines, Reader's Digest, and Gourmet. Sondra served as the dance critic for The Wisconsin State Journal and wrote dance and drama reviews for Back Stage. She is a proud member of the Dance Critics Association. Sondra was the New York Dance Scene columnist on DanceArt.com from March of 1997 until the site was acquired by DancerUniverse.com in 2008. Now she's delighted to be a ballet blogger on Dance.com where she'll continue her tradition of treating readers to insider's news and tips about the Big Apple's ballet world and the NYC dance scene in general.