So you think you can dance?
A successful career as a professional dancer, choreographer, dance videographer and teacher proves that Victoria Uris can dance.
Uris is retiring this quarter after 20 years as a professor in the Department of Dance at Ohio State. Her last quarter will be one to remember, considering her upcoming performance in the OSU Visiting and Resident Dance Concert, which begins Nov. 19 and will last until Nov. 21. The concerts begin 8 p.m. in Sullivant Hall
“I woke up a couple of days before my 16th birthday and decided I was going to be a dancer,” said Uris, who grew up in New York City.
“In the end I asked my mom for ballet lessons and that’s how it all started. I was very driven and teachers encouraged me from day one, which was unusual and amazing.”
After studying her craft at Carnegie Hall and the Graham School, Uris received a bachelor’s of fine arts in theater and dance from New York University.
“After my college graduation I knew I wanted to be in a dance company,” Uris said. “I had to be in a dance company.”
Uris spent time as a freelance dancer until she auditioned for the renowned Paul Taylor Dance Company.
“I auditioned a couple of times and worked my way up,” Uris said. “After I was hired, we rehearsed from 11 in the morning until five at night every day. We would sweat so much Paul would let us go by three.”
Throughout her life as a dancer, Uris has performed in Europe, Russia, Asia, Central and South America.
After five and a half years as a professional dancer, Uris decided to come to OSU for her graduate study.
Uris became a faculty member of the OSU Department of Dance in 1989 and taught modern technique class, choreographed and worked as a director of videodances. As a videodance maker, Uris has been recognized worldwide for her work.
“I make videodances specifically for the large screen,” says Uris. “My video work has been shown on television, in museums, and in festivals internationally.”
Uris came up with the project “Dance on Camera”, to bring dance films from around the world to OSU. Thanks to Uris, the video-dances and documentaries that were previously shown once a year at The Dance on Camera Film Festival in New York, are now shown exclusively at OSU.
It is hard to ignore the happiness that exudes from Uris when she talks about her students and her life as a teacher.
“I think I have a lot of passion for the art form,” Uris said. “I want to ignite my students’ interest and push their talents. I want to take students to places they didn’t know they could go.”
Uris’ impact as a teacher, choreographer and artist will leave an imprint on the Department of Dance for years to come.
“I am extremely lucky and blessed. Especially to work with such amazing students,” Uris said. “That’s what I love.”
