MEET THE COMPANY
Julia Gingerich
Artistic Director/Board President
Dancer/Teacher/ Choreographer
Mother/Gardener/Farmer
Originally from Aurora Oregon, Julia attended the University of Arizona and then Western Oregon University where she was awarded a dance scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. She received much of her classical training with the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre from 2002-2006 and the Houston Ballet Academy. Julia has taught, choreographed and performed all across Oregon in Eugene, Portland, Corvallis, Hood River and now Astoria. She has taught all ages from tots to elders, and in various avenues like dance studios, high schools, conferences and churches. Born to move, Julia has lifelong experience in many different forms of dance: Ballet, African, Modern, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Liturgical, Salsa, Swing, Irish and Baroque to name a few. Julia has traversed the plains of musical theatre and classical music with her experience as an actress and pianist.
Recently Julia has been the Dance Coordinator for a local fundraising event called Dancers Unite which raised funds for the construction of the 1015 Theater. Julia is also the Artistic Director of two non-profit dance companies located in Astoria: The Spirit Moves Dance Company and Sparrow Dance Company. She teaches beginning and intermediate/ advanced modern dance at the Astoria Arts and Movement Center. When not dancing you can often find her wandering her garden, tending to her chickens or chasing her children.
Combining her love for children and dance comes easily for Julia as she has taught creative movement in organizations such as preschools, children's library programs and dance studios. Julia has a passion for art outreach and she hopes all individuals find their avenues to be able to move. She has experience in movement workshops for persons with limited range of movement and enjoys challenging stereotypes of what it means to be a dancer. “Everyone can dance!” she says. “Each person has their own dance inside of them, they must only find their own way to express it!” By teaching and providing dance platforms she hopes to fill some movers’ souls. As Martha Graham would say, “dance is the hidden language of the soul”.
Artistic Director/Board President
Dancer/Teacher/ Choreographer
Mother/Gardener/Farmer
Originally from Aurora Oregon, Julia attended the University of Arizona and then Western Oregon University where she was awarded a dance scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. She received much of her classical training with the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre from 2002-2006 and the Houston Ballet Academy. Julia has taught, choreographed and performed all across Oregon in Eugene, Portland, Corvallis, Hood River and now Astoria. She has taught all ages from tots to elders, and in various avenues like dance studios, high schools, conferences and churches. Born to move, Julia has lifelong experience in many different forms of dance: Ballet, African, Modern, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Liturgical, Salsa, Swing, Irish and Baroque to name a few. Julia has traversed the plains of musical theatre and classical music with her experience as an actress and pianist.
Recently Julia has been the Dance Coordinator for a local fundraising event called Dancers Unite which raised funds for the construction of the 1015 Theater. Julia is also the Artistic Director of two non-profit dance companies located in Astoria: The Spirit Moves Dance Company and Sparrow Dance Company. She teaches beginning and intermediate/ advanced modern dance at the Astoria Arts and Movement Center. When not dancing you can often find her wandering her garden, tending to her chickens or chasing her children.
Combining her love for children and dance comes easily for Julia as she has taught creative movement in organizations such as preschools, children's library programs and dance studios. Julia has a passion for art outreach and she hopes all individuals find their avenues to be able to move. She has experience in movement workshops for persons with limited range of movement and enjoys challenging stereotypes of what it means to be a dancer. “Everyone can dance!” she says. “Each person has their own dance inside of them, they must only find their own way to express it!” By teaching and providing dance platforms she hopes to fill some movers’ souls. As Martha Graham would say, “dance is the hidden language of the soul”.
Sarah Cohen
Board Treasurer/Administrative Assistant
Dancer/Teacher/ Choreographer
Certified Financial Officer/Mother
Dancing since the age of two Sarah Cohen has Ballet in her blood. Both her Mother and Father were dancers at Boston Ballet, and then created their own company in the greater Boston area- North Atlantic Ballet Company. Sarah grew up in the school being trained by her parents, Tom Vacanti, and other informative teachers. She went on to be a featured artist with DanceArts in Cape Cod all the while attending college. Her repertoire is varied and her experience also includes numerous musical theater productions as well as contemporary and modern dance.
In 2003 She moved to Hawaii with her husband where she met John Landovsky, director of Hawaii State Ballet. Under the tutelage of Mr. Landovsky she danced, taught, and choreographed until 2009 when she then moved to Oregon. Taking some time off from dance, she finished her Bachelors degree in Anthropology from Portland State University and then in 2014 found herself in Oakridge, Or. Shortly after her arrival in Oakridge, Sarah realized there were no performing arts opportunities for the children, and within a month started a school, Oakridge Ballet. Over the next few years she developed her dancers using a mixed syllabus, and creating new choreography. Their performance schedule consisted of Nutcracker, a spring production, and a Summer gala. In 2018 she closed her school and relocated to Astoria with her family, and upon finding Sparrow Dance Company announced she is home!
Sarah Elder
Board Vice President
Dancer
Book Store Associate
Borned and raised in Astoria, Sarah started dancing at the age of 8 at the Maddox Dance Studio in Warrenton, Oregon training in multiple styles of dance such as jazz, hip hop, tap,
modern/contemporary, ballet, and lyrical. She was a part of the schools local student based
company, The Little Ballet Theatre, where she performed in various local based productions
such as Cinderella, Graduation Ball, the Nutcracker, and Alice in Wonderland.
After graduating high school, Sarah joined the performance division for continued intensive
training in ballet and modern/contemporary at the Evergreen City Ballet in Renton, Washington after attending a summer intensive there. She continued to perform with the company for 4 years performing in various productions such as Cinderella, the Nutcracker, Coppelia, and a ballet based on the children’s book, Fancy Nancy, and Northwest Works; a yearly production where company members can create their own works and also work with and perform choreography staged by dancers from companies such as the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
She has attended several summer programs, such as The Joffrey Ballet School in New York,
Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Evergreen City Ballet, and has taken master classes with
dancers/teachers from Oregon Ballet Theatre, and The San Francisco Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Board Vice President
Dancer
Book Store Associate
Borned and raised in Astoria, Sarah started dancing at the age of 8 at the Maddox Dance Studio in Warrenton, Oregon training in multiple styles of dance such as jazz, hip hop, tap,
modern/contemporary, ballet, and lyrical. She was a part of the schools local student based
company, The Little Ballet Theatre, where she performed in various local based productions
such as Cinderella, Graduation Ball, the Nutcracker, and Alice in Wonderland.
After graduating high school, Sarah joined the performance division for continued intensive
training in ballet and modern/contemporary at the Evergreen City Ballet in Renton, Washington after attending a summer intensive there. She continued to perform with the company for 4 years performing in various productions such as Cinderella, the Nutcracker, Coppelia, and a ballet based on the children’s book, Fancy Nancy, and Northwest Works; a yearly production where company members can create their own works and also work with and perform choreography staged by dancers from companies such as the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
She has attended several summer programs, such as The Joffrey Ballet School in New York,
Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Evergreen City Ballet, and has taken master classes with
dancers/teachers from Oregon Ballet Theatre, and The San Francisco Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Celeste Olivares
Board Secretary
Dancer/Astoria Argentine tango Co-Founder & Teaching Assistant
Gypsy By Olive/Owner+Jewelry Artist/Freelance Administrator/ Sales Assistant
Celeste has her twin sister, Estelle to thank as constant inspiration for dance in her life. She moonlighted as a dancer in Portland for 15+ years, maintaining her dance technique with the "therapy" of ballet and modern classes. Past performances include those with topshakedance, Kate Rafter | Automat Dance, Teeth, Esther La Pointe, Paige McKinney, and Kinetic Images, among others.
She and her twin sister are affectionately known as Astoria's Tango Twins, having founded the Argentine Tango community in 2015, where they now reside and continue to teach weekly. Celeste is an active performance artist in Astoria, performing with Marco Davis' Dragulation, singing with local and Midas Digs, and now dancing as a founding member with Sparrow Dance Company. She is honored and delighted to be dancing.
Community Company
Nate Laport
Dancer
Student
Since before his first pair of rubber boots, Nate has constantly been exploring and studying new ways to move through the world. From climbing maple trees at his childhood home, to exploring trails and logging roads on dirt bikes. He participated in youth soccer, basketball, football, and track and field at Rainier schools, and J.V. basketball at Knappa High School. After graduating, Nate attended Clatsop Community College, before joining the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and felt incredibly blessed for it. The natural beauty of the Aloha State inspired him to be moving outdoors as much as possible, whether hiking mountain trails or free-diving and bodysurfing in the warm Pacific Ocean. He was deployed to Iraq in 2010, and spent a year moving through the streets, fields, and palm groves of the Fertile Crescent.
While in uniform, Nate was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and continues to train as often as possible. After moving to Astoria, Nate began attending a variety of Yoga classes at Watershed Wellness, and dance classes at Astoria Arts and Movement Center. Here, he quickly grew to love the creative expression of modern dance class, and the moving meditation of ecstatic dance. "I feel like stretching myself" he replied when asked why he said "yes" to joining Sparrow’s Community Company...he plans to continue to try other forms of dance and movement in the future.
Dancer
Student
Since before his first pair of rubber boots, Nate has constantly been exploring and studying new ways to move through the world. From climbing maple trees at his childhood home, to exploring trails and logging roads on dirt bikes. He participated in youth soccer, basketball, football, and track and field at Rainier schools, and J.V. basketball at Knappa High School. After graduating, Nate attended Clatsop Community College, before joining the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and felt incredibly blessed for it. The natural beauty of the Aloha State inspired him to be moving outdoors as much as possible, whether hiking mountain trails or free-diving and bodysurfing in the warm Pacific Ocean. He was deployed to Iraq in 2010, and spent a year moving through the streets, fields, and palm groves of the Fertile Crescent.
While in uniform, Nate was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and continues to train as often as possible. After moving to Astoria, Nate began attending a variety of Yoga classes at Watershed Wellness, and dance classes at Astoria Arts and Movement Center. Here, he quickly grew to love the creative expression of modern dance class, and the moving meditation of ecstatic dance. "I feel like stretching myself" he replied when asked why he said "yes" to joining Sparrow’s Community Company...he plans to continue to try other forms of dance and movement in the future.
