Fans Support Pennsylvania Ballet Dancer Who Was Fired Due to Height

Pennsylvania Ballet dancer, Sara Murawski, was was told her contract would not be renewed next year after her performance in George Balanchine's THE NUTCRACKER due to her height not being a proper fit with next season's shows.

In a Facebook post, Murawski said that her worst fears in joining the company came true. Since then, there has been an outrage among fans.

The Philadelphia Daily News said, "Sara Michelle Murawski, most recently the Sugar Plum Fairy in "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker," has been cut from the company's roster for the upcoming season because she's too tall. Yes, you read that correctly. And at 6 feet 2, I'm taking it personally."

Another fan wrote an open letter to Sara, saying, in part:

"When the curtain fell, your dreams still soared and your life felt maybe just a little too blissful and beautiful to be true. You felt accomplished. Fulfilled. You felt utter joy and absolute glee... Then every dream you lived seemed to be crushed in an instant with one big blow.Pushed out of your position in the ballet company you came to work with suddenly, just in the moments you were still on cloud nine, you were fired. Fired because you are too tall. You don't fit the company you were a part of. You were rejected."

Born in Norfolk, VA, Sara Murawski gained her foundation in ballet from numerous schools and teachers around the world including Old Dominion University under Istvan and Neli Ament of Hungary; Eastern Virginia School for the Performing Arts in Williamsburg, VA under the guidance of Sandra Balestracci; at Southeastern Virginia Dance Academy in Virginia Beach, VA under Gillian Johnson and Stephanie Young; and in Carlisle, PA, at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the guidance of several teachers including Leslie Hench. She continued her educations at the Rock School for Dance Education, in Philadelphia, PA, where she was awarded a full scholarship and danced for several years under Bo and Stephanie Spassoff before being invited on full scholarship to the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C.

In 2006, MS. Murawski was awarded 2nd place in the USA Russian Pointe National Youth Ballet competition in Washington, D.C. and went on to win 1st place in the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) in both classical solos and pas de deux the same year. She was one of the "Top 12" in the 2007 YAGP, was awarded the Sarah C. Langham award and was chosen to perform a new-creation solo for the Rock School at the YAGP, "Stars of Today Meet Stars of Tomorrow" gala show event. In 2008 and 2009, she also placed in the YAGP finals "Top 12."

MS. Murawski joined the Semperoper Ballet in Germany in 2009 as a member of the Corps de Ballet, under the leadership of Aaron Watkin and was promoted to Second Soloist in 2013. In 2014, she joined the Slovak National Ballet as a Soloist where she performed in both Soloist and Principal roles.

MS. Murawski joinEd Pennsylvania Ballet for the 2016/2017 season as Principal Dancer.

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