After spending his entire 11-year professional career as a BalletMet Company dancer, Jackson Prescott Sarver will make his final bows on stage during American Masters.
“It has been such a privilege working, creating and dancing with BalletMet. If my dancing has touched just one person, then I’ve done my job.”
Sarver is well known to audiences for dancing the roles of Dracula in David Nixon’s Dracula, Don Jose in Amadeo Amodia’s Carmen, Death in Birgit Scherzer’s Requim!! and various roles in James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons, The Man in Black, 7 Deadly Sins, Rite of Spring and There, Below. Other highlights of his dance career include Treat Me Rough in Harrison’s McEldowney’s Group Therapy and lead couple in Darrell Grande Moutlrie’s “Wrath” from 7 Deadly Sins.
Sarver began his ballet study with Nan Klinger at the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet at age 10 and was encouraged to stick with ballet by choreographer Francis Patrelle. Sarver began with BalletMet at 19 has bridged two artistic directors during his time with the Company. He also received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from University of North Carolina School of the Arts while dancing full-time.
For the past 10 years, Sarver has served as the AGMA Delegate and represented his fellow dancers in three successful collective bargaining agreements (2008, 2011, 2014). He has also represented BalletMet on TV, radio, social media and during post-performance discussions and at other special events.
Sarver is grateful to BalletMet for the many talented artists with which he has danced, as well as the inspirational artistic staff under which his skills were honed and nurtured. His parents have supported him throughout his career and have attended every Saturday evening and Sunday matinee performance of his BalletMet career. He is grateful to his wife Katie for the many weekends she has been a “ballet widow,” especially during the long Nutcracker season.