ABOUT

Sarah E. Flynn is a researcher and performer whose work sits at the intersection of embodiment, performance studies, feminist theory, and international policy. She graduated magna cum laude from Penn State in August 2026 with a B.A. in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and holds a certificate in Women's Leadership from the Yale School of Management.

 

Her research examines how performers and communities sustain resistance in environments that penalize it. Current projects include Rhinestones & Resistance, a comparative study of neo-burlesque in France and the United States that she presents at the 2026 National Women's Studies Association conference, and Dances of Resistance, an independent project building a multi-media archive of embodied political resistance traditions.

 

She is National Co-Chair of the UNA-USA Women Affinity Group, an official delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69 and CSW71), and a board member and communications lead for the Global Network of Women's Shelters.

 

Before academia, Sarah spent more than 35 years as a professional dancer, choreographer, and arts educator, with performance credits including Broadway, Disney, and the Sydney Olympics. She directed a performing arts academy for 13 years and performs as Lady Grey.