Strauss, Sara Mildred, 1896-1979

American dance teacher, choreographer, and author, Sara Mildred Strauss (1896-1979) was an influential, but somewhat forgotten physical fitness advocate whose long career also encompassed the spheres of concert and theatrical dance.

Strauss published her first treatise, The Dance and Life (1916) at a relatively young age, but she was still active in the field some fifty years later, publishing Here an Inch, There an Inch (1966), a much more mature work that encapsulates the experience of her many years of teaching. After extensive study, she developed the Strauss method of body building and dance technique early on, opening schools that developed the skills of dancers. By the mid-1930s, her technique was being taught by trained instructors at Strauss School of the Dance outposts throughout the United States and in several other countries. In addition to training dancers, many famous actors studied body movement and posture in her studios. After a short stay in Hollywood, Strauss returned to New York and joined the teaching staff of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she remained for about fifteen years.

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