SADI MOSKO
ABOUT
Sadi Mosko is a dancer and choreographer based between Idaho and New York City. Since 2016, she has been a collaborator with Colleen Thomas Dance, performing in multiple productions and venues around New York City. Sadi acted as a performer and rehearsal assistant for Thomas' Bessie-nominated work, light & desire, which premiered at New York Live Arts. Sadi's own choreography has been commissioned by organizations including CPR - Center for Performance Research, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, and Treefort Music Fest. In addition, Sadi has worked with Boise-based organizations like LED, Project Flux, Migration Theory, Idaho Dance Theatre, and Dance Boise, and she co-founded SilverMoss Dance Project, a platform for the works she creates in collaboration with Carolyn Silverman.
Originally from Boise, Sadi graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with B.A. degrees in both dance and sustainable development. At Columbia, through the Barnard College Department of Dance, she studied with artists such as Twyla Tharp, Andrea Miller, and Jodi Melnick and performed works by Sasha Waltz, Kevin Wynn, Shannon Gillen, Donna Uchizono, Loni Landon, and Alexandra Beller, among others. Additionally, Sadi has trained at multiple workshops and intensives in the United States and Europe.
Outside of the studio, Sadi is a writer and editor with a passion for environmental sustainability. Her research paper, “Stepping Sustainably: The Potential Partnership Between Dance and Sustainable Development,” was published by the journal Consilience and presented as part of a gathering at the Dance Studies Association 2022 Conference in Vancouver, Canada. Read it here. In September 2024, she published a follow-up article in dancejournal/hk that reflects on her past research.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Although my bio lists words like “dancer" and "choreographer,” what I aspire to be is a storyteller. I am fascinated by the power stories have in shaping our world, and I am interested in how experimental performance can be made through the lens of storytelling.
However, my process remains technical and form-based. I start with tasks void of meaning and see what movement they inspire, then what story or emotion arises from that embodiment.
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This process stems from my research into the role of art in environmentalism. My research began as written theory, but it expanded into my dance practice. Its main finding: the critical role storytelling plays in communicating complicated or politicized scientific topics to non-scientific audiences. This understanding reframed how I see myself and redefined what I want to create.
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I started this research expecting my art to impact the environmental movement, but much to my surprise, the environmental movement impacted my art.
My compositional training was heavy in abstract, post-modern ideas, which I interpreted to mean I should only focus on shape, form, and dynamics. Now, I realize that was a misguided interpretation—those foundational elements of composition cannot be isolated from human sentiment. Thus, my choreography explores tension between objectivity and emotionality. Sometimes, it is literal messaging about an issue; at other times, it is abstract. Recently, I have become especially fascinated by how I can infuse linear, non-abstract forms (like film, writing, or comedy) into my dance—and how I can infuse my dance into these other mediums.