Founder & Executive Director of Women in Dance
Choreographer, educator, arts executive, and advocate advancing women’s leadership through dance.
Creating Space for Women to Lead
Sandra Shih Parks founded Women in Dance with a clear conviction: women in dance deserve greater visibility, stronger professional connections, and meaningful opportunities to lead.
Drawing on her international career as a performer, choreographer, educator, and arts executive, Sandra has built Women in Dance into a platform where artists, scholars, educators, and advocates can exchange ideas, present their work, and shape the future of the field.
Through the international Women in Dance Leadership Conference and year-round advocacy, she continues to create pathways for women’s voices to be seen, heard, and valued.
About Sandra
Sandra Shih Parks is an accomplished choreographer, arts executive, educator, and advocate for female leadership in the performing arts. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Women in Dance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing female leadership through education, performance, and global discourse.
Through Women in Dance, Sandra curates the international biennial Women in Dance Leadership Conference, bringing together artists, scholars, educators, and arts leaders from around the world. The conference has been presented in Baton Rouge, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Philadelphia.
Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, Sandra began her professional career as a soloist with Four Seasons Ballet and Wu-I Dance Company and later toured with the Broadway production of The King and I. Her choreography has been presented across the United States and internationally in Beijing, Taipei, and Florence.
Sandra holds a BFA in Dance Performance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA in Dance and Choreography from Smith College. Her work is grounded in expanding opportunities for women, advancing culturally responsive practices, and empowering the next generation of dancers and arts leaders.
View Sandra’s Professional Biography
Sandra Shih Parks
Founder and Executive Director, Women in Dance
Sandra Shih Parks is an accomplished choreographer, arts executive, educator, and advocate for female leadership in the performing arts. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Women in Dance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing female leadership through education, performance, and global discourse.
Through Women in Dance, Sandra curates the international biennial Women in Dance Leadership Conference, which brings together artists, scholars, educators, and arts leaders from around the world. Since its inception, the conference has been presented in Baton Rouge, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Philadelphia, creating opportunities for women to share their work, exchange ideas, build professional networks, and help shape the future of dance.
Sandra’s arts leadership experience includes serving as Executive Director and CEO of Ballet Wichita and as Executive and Artistic Director of Colorado Conservatory of Dance. In these roles, she guided organizational strategy, artistic vision, educational programming, and community engagement. She previously held dance program leadership positions at Drexel University and Louisiana State University.
Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, Sandra began her professional career as a soloist with Four Seasons Ballet and Wu-I Dance Company. She later toured nationally and internationally with the Broadway production of The King and I. In New York City, she produced and directed original works and choreographed more than 80 live performances. She also performed with Bosoma Dance Company, The Dance Collective, and Impulse Dance Company in Boston.
Sandra’s choreography has been presented across the United States in cities including Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, and Philadelphia, as well as internationally in Beijing, Taipei, and Florence, Italy. Her creative work explores the intersections of movement, music, cultural identity, history, and human connection.
Sandra holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography from Smith College. She has held collegiate appointments at Boston University, Smith College, Kennesaw State University, Regis College, Bridgewater State College, and the Colleges of the Fenway, among other institutions. She has also led master classes and workshops in China, France, and Taiwan.
Across every facet of her work, Sandra is committed to expanding opportunities for women, cultivating inclusive and culturally responsive practices, and empowering the next generation of dancers and arts leaders. Her work reflects a belief that dance can serve not only as an art form, but also as a powerful platform for leadership, dialogue, education, and lasting change.
2013
Women in Dance founded
International Reach
Choreography presented across the United States and internationally
BFA + MFA
New York University and Smith College
“I created Women in Dance because I saw extraordinary women whose voices, ideas, and artistry deserved greater visibility. I wanted to build a space where women could connect, share their work, and lead the future of dance.”
— Sandra Shih Parks
Selected Creative & Interdisciplinary Work
Interactive & Interdisciplinary Performance
Romeo and Juliet: The Choice combines original choreography with Prokofiev’s rarely performed solo-piano score, digital media, and perspectives from history, literature, music, and theatre. After considering different interpretations of the story, audience members vote to determine which of its two possible endings the performers will present.
Cultural Research & Performance
The Nutcracker: A Journey Through Cultures combines classical ballet with cultural research, collaborative choreography, and perspectives from artists connected to the traditions represented. By reimagining the Spanish, Arabian, and Chinese variations, the project replaces inherited stereotypes with movement grounded in cultural context, respect, and artistic integrity.
Dance Across Cultures
Through documentary filmmaking and field research, Dance Across Cultures explores how movement carries cultural memory, connects communities, and reveals relationships across geography and history. Beginning with ethnic-minority dance traditions in China and expanding to Taiwanese Indigenous and Austronesian cultures, the project centers cultural knowledge, dialogue, and lived experience.
3D Ballet Curriculum
The 3D Ballet Curriculum combines dance pedagogy, motion capture, animation, and digital technology to translate three-dimensional movement for virtual learning. Developed through collaboration between dance and animation faculty, the project offers students new ways to study ballet technique, spatial awareness, alignment, and movement dynamics from multiple perspectives.
Connect with Sandra
Interested in collaborating, presenting a project, or supporting the work of Women in Dance?