Sarah Takash knows the importance of grounding. Before rehearsal begins, she often lies flat on the floor with her eyes closed, breathing herself into presence, arriving fully in the space before the first movement begins. She carries with her a bag of salty snacks and an apple Olipop—ginger ale if she’s in a pinch—and the knowledge that at any moment, if a musical soundtrack comes on, she will be the first to sing along while dancing. That mix of humor, grounding, and spontaneity is the pulse she brings to every process.
An NYC/NJ-based visual and performing artist, Sarah graduated summa cum laude from the Ailey School and Fordham University, double majoring in dance and visual arts. While there, she had the privilege of performing works by Alvin Ailey and Robert Battle on the stages of New York City Center and the Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. Since then, she has expanded her artistic world into musicals, performing in Pippin and Tuck Everlasting at the Vanguard Theater, and Sunday in the Park with George at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center. She has also performed in Boston on the Henry J. Leir Outdoor Stage at Jacob’s Pillow and the ICA Boston, building a career that bridges ballet, concert dance, and the theatrical stage.
Dance has always been a family inheritance. Her mother, a dancer and teacher, was her first modern instructor—the one who got her “off her leg,” opened her to different styles, and carried her to countless ballets, festivals, and musicals. Her older sister was already in classes when Sarah joined, and so dance became less of a choice than a birthright. Yet Sarah affirms that she continues to choose it every day. “I am always most excited for my mom to see any performance I am in, because she is the reason I am the dancer I am,” she says, carrying forward her mother’s gift while carving her own path.
In Vietnamerica: The Musical, Sarah has been struck by the universality of sacrifice. “This experience has reminded me that sacrifice, especially the sacrifices done for family, is universal,” she reflects. The story of characters who have lost home and family, who still search for a place of belonging, has deepened her gratitude for her own family and the generations whose sacrifices she may never know but who shaped her life. For Sarah, embodying this narrative is a privilege, one that calls her to empathy, reverence, and the responsibility of storytelling.
Rehearsal has only deepened her commitment. She describes the cast as strong, smart, and supportive, a company bound by collaboration and care. She recalls the laughter of giving code names to sections of choreography—someone yelling out a random word in the middle of rehearsal to signal where the group should dive next—and the silliness of dancers fumbling with props like fans and parade batons. These moments are not just fun, but affirmations of ensemble, proof that every dancer wants everyone else to succeed. “We celebrate each other,” she says.
For Sarah, the heart of Vietnamerica lies in honoring the complexity of its story. “I hope that our dancing honors the complexity of the story we’re telling,” she shares. “I hope audiences see grief, sacrifice, and heartbreak, but also celebration, fun, and above all, hope.” At a time when authentic immigrant stories are more urgent than ever, she considers it an honor to be part of the inaugural cast of Vietnamerica, knowing that this is only the beginning of a story that must be told again and again.
On September 7, 2025, at Capital One Hall in Tysons Corner, Sarah Takash will step onto the stage carrying not just her own artistry, but the memory of sacrifice and the spark of hope. To watch her dance is to witness a body that grounds grief, celebrates joy, and makes visible the resilience of generations.
Witness hope in motion through Sarah—get your tickets here: https://www.ticketsonsale.com/tickets/vietnamerica-capital-one-hall-tysons-9-7-2025-5818424