Martinsburg Native Scores Dancer Role In ‘Hamilton’ Touring Company

Martinsburg native Sabrina Harrison grew up dancing at a local studio. She took that passion for dance with her into college, and now into a full-time career in New York City.

Next month, Harrison will join the touring cast for the musical “Hamilton,” and she’ll be dancing on stages across the United States. Eastern Panhandle Reporter Jack Walker spoke with Harrison to discuss her upbringing in West Virginia, and her career so far.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Walker: What do you think led to your interest in dancing?

Harrison: I loved dancing back at home. It was just something that really brought me out of my shell. I would like to say I was a very extroverted person growing up, but I think dance just brought me out and made me comfortable with performing and talking to different kinds of people too, which I really enjoyed.

Walker: How did you get started dancing in college?

Harrison: I went to West Virginia University, and I studied in the dance program there. And I was also on the WVU dance team.

Walker: What led you to move to New York?

Harrison: A lot of the other dance schools — around not just New York, but a lot of the dance schools [nationally] — were utilizing Zoom for auditions and interviews, just because we weren’t allowed to go to the actual schools. I remember looking some different places up and seeing the Joffrey Ballet School having the opportunity of a Zoom audition. I thought, during COVID while we were still home, it was worth a shot to audition and see what could happen. So when I auditioned, I did over Zoom back at home. This was all still during our break in college. … I heard back a few weeks later, by the time we were already back in school, that I got accepted.

Walker: How did you come to audition for ‘“Hamilton?”

Harrison: So I auditioned for “Hamilton” in 2021, and it was actually a closed-call audition that someone recommended me for. I went in, and I made it all the way until the end. It was like, “Thank you for your time. We’ll let you know what’s going to happen. If you hear back from us, you do. If not, like keep auditioning.” Like, “This is a great thing that you made it all the way to the end.” That was one of my first big auditions, too. So in my mind, I was like, “This is the best thing ever.” Like, I’m so proud of myself. Coming from really not auditioning in other places at home to just jumping right into it was a very scary thing. It still is to this day, honestly.

Walker: How did you end up landing a role in the show’s touring company?

Harrison: I don’t remember the exact date, but I believe I auditioned again either late 2022 or early 2023. I auditioned again for “Hamilton,” and this was them contacting me to reaudition. I did, and I made it all the way till the end of that round. Then I got an email six or so months later saying that I was shortlisted. What that means is that you no longer have to audition for that show, you’re on the list as a possible put-in for the show over time. It’s no promise or guarantee of a specific time or place. You could do the tour, it could be Broadway, it could be the international tour, it could be whichever version of “Hamilton” that they have. But you’re on the list [and] you’ll get it eventually, is what that list means. So when I received that email, I was over the moon, because “Hamilton” is still my number one favorite musical I’ve ever seen.

It was spring break, I was back at home with my family, and March 7, on my mom’s birthday, I received a call from my agent saying that I booked “Hamilton” and I am “Woman 3/The Bullet.” So if you watch the show, it’s the girl who holds the bullet as time passes. That was the position that I’ve always wanted, with me not saying anything to any of them. That was the number one role that I just fell in love with when I watched the show. And I got that role on my mom’s birthday, which just meant even more to me because it was just a very special day already.

Walker: Now that you’ve gotten a spot in your favorite musical, what has getting prepared for your new role looked like?

Harrison: We have our rehearsals and everything in New York. So I went back home for maybe two or three weeks after graduation, knowing that I had this job and that I needed to pack my clothes, take back my clothes that I had here in New York, and just kind of like reassess everything before coming back here. We leave here, August 5, so I’ll be rehearsing up until then. Then, our first stop is in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and we’re going to be touring until August of next year.

Walker: What takeaways do you have from this process overall?

Harrison: This whole “professional dancer” title for myself is still very new, and I have to start owning that. So I’m trying to learn that every single day. I still think of myself as a student, but now I’m not. It’s a true honor and blessing to have received a job like this straight from school. It’s not something that happens often, but it’s something that I’m very blessed and grateful for.