Sarah Wilbur

Sarah Wilbur is an Associate Professor of the Practice at Duke University, jointly appointed in Dance and Theater Studies. She serves as Director of Graduate Studies in Dance and is a Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. Her work bridges artistic practice and academic scholarship, focusing on the intersection of arts labor, economic incentives, and infrastructural practices.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles (2016)
• M.F.A., University of California, Los Angeles (2012)
• B.F.A., University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (1996)
• Certified Facilitator, Duke University, TIMESLIPS (2020)

Her research explores how economic systems shape artistic decision-making, including federal arts funding policies and healthcare partnerships. Recent work examines pandemic-era institutional practices and the impact of federal divestment on the arts ecology. Her publications analyze choreographic processes, labor dynamics in performance, and dance’s role in health and social care.

Her scholarship appears in journals like TDR/The Drama Review and Performance Research, with a focus on federal policy trends (e.g., NEA funding), healthcare collaborations (e.g., veterans' wellness programs), and equity in arts infrastructure.

Scientific Awards:

• Wisconsin Dance Council Award for Research and Journalism (2025)
• Finalist - Freedley Award (2022)
• Finalist - de la Torre Bueno First Book Prize (2022)
• Open Monograph Award (2020)
• Brown Arts Initiative Grant (2017)

Wilbur leads initiatives such as the Equitable Arts Infrastructures Research Group, supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities collaborative grant, and will co-edit the Arts in Context book series. She collaborates with Duke’s Reimagining Medicine program and transnational health humanities curricula.