Milwaukee City Wire

For nearly three decades, Sandra Jordan has been a beacon of inspiration and guidance for the students at Milwaukee High School of the Arts (MHSA). As she prepares to retire this semester, she reflects on her journey and the impact she's had on countless young dancers.

Throughout her career at MHSA, Jordan has taught dance to numerous students, many of whom have gone on to professional careers in dance or dance education. Some have even shared the stage with global superstars like Beyoncé. "Whenever I can, I bring them back," said Jordan, underlining the importance of showing current students that successful dancers can emerge from MHSA.

Jordan has also leveraged opportunities to expose her students to visiting dance companies performing in Milwaukee. These interactions offer valuable advice and masterclasses for her pupils. She constantly reminds them that their competition isn't just local; it's national. "The dancers in Milwaukee are not your competition … it’s the dancers out there," she emphasizes.

Her own passion for dance was ignited during her childhood in Alabama where she discovered an affinity for rhythmic dance over gymnastics. This led her to pursue a degree in Dance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham before moving to Milwaukee to join her mother. She completed her education with a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), followed by a master’s degree in Dance and Choreography from UWM and another master's in Arts Administration from UW-Madison.

At MHSA, Jordan has taught ballet, modern jazz dance, and dance composition. She encourages creativity among her students and finds inspiration for choreography in everyday sounds. Her teaching philosophy centers around humility and continuous learning. "You must be humble because there’s already going to be somebody in the room who is stronger technically than you," she advises.

She also prepares her students for rejection which is an inevitable part of their field but should not deter them from pursuing their passion. "Understand that you will be rejected. Rejection is a part of this field. It doesn’t mean that you’re not good," she counsels.

In her classes, Jordan emphasizes the importance of training and rehearsing before performing. She believes that these foundational steps cannot be skipped if one wants to succeed in dance.

While many of her students have pursued careers in dance, others have ventured into fields like medicine and law. Regardless of their chosen profession, Jordan urges them to keep dancing as a form of stress relief.

Jordan's contributions to dance education have been recognized with the Wisconsin Dance Council’s Margaret H’Doubler Award in 2023 and she was also a finalist for the statewide Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Teacher Fellowship this year.

Although retiring from MHSA, Jordan plans to continue teaching at Signature Dance Company in Milwaukee, embodying the advice she has given her students for years: Just keep dancing.