IRMA SANDREY

SANDREY--Irma,

acted in leading roles on Broadway, off-Broadway, regional theater and feature films. Ms. Sandrey made her acting debut in the part of "Liat" in the original Broadway production of "South Pacific". Some of her many stage credits are "Yen" in "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel" with Al Pacino, "Winning Hearts and Minds" at the Public Theater, "Electra", "The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year" by John Guare and Chekov's "The Boar". She Co-starred in "Happy Family" at the "Centenary Stage Company". She can be seen in the leading role of the film "The Orchard". Irma Sandrey had been a member of the Actors Studio since 1969, and has appeared in numerous projects there. Her favorite productions were "Richard III", in which she played "Lady Anne", and "Jesse and the Bandit Queen", in which she played "Belle Starr". Ms Sandrey received her first theatrical training as a scholarship pupil at the School of American Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine. While she was in her early teens "The New York City Ballet" was started, and for the next two years she danced solos in most of Mr. Balanchine's ballets. Ms. Sandrey then joined the legendary "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo", performing in over a hundred cities per season for the next three years. Ms. Sandrey had been teaching acting at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute since 1976. She was the Senior Teacher and Advisor. Irma Sandrey had been starring in film and theater productions as part of IS/MB Productions, which she founded in 2007. These have included "Perfection", in which she played the starting role and co-wrote at the DR2 Theatre in New York City, "The Fourth Wall" by A.R. Gurney, in which she played the part of "Peggy" at the Century Theater, also in New York City; and co-directed "A Taste of Honey", also at the Century Theater. As part of IS/MB Productions, Ms. Sandrey starred in a series of short films, currently entering film festivals around the world: "Closing Notice", "Hearts N' Flower" and "Whatever Happened". These are films which she also co-wrote and produced. Ms. Sandrey was set to appear in two feature films, due to start production in the near future. Irma Sandrey was a brilliant young ballerina at a unique and exciting period in American dance. She took her first ballet class in 1941 and was a soloist in two of the worlds greatest ballet companies in the mid forties and early fifties. The New York City Ballet when it was called Ballet Society, and The Ballet Russo de Monte Carlo was at the height of its fame. She was a scholarship student at the School of American Ballet which was founded by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. The teachers there were the great dancers from the Marinsky Ballet now named The Kirov who left Russia to dance with the Diaghilev company. Irma Sandrey entered the School of American Ballet in the fall of 1943. She was dancing solos in the New York City Ballet at sixteen when the company was just starting and named Ballet Society. At eighteen she joined the legendary Ballet Russe do Monte Carlo when they were at the height of their success. She danced with them for three years starting with their famous tenth anniversary season at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. During this season many of the great dancers who had formerly danced with the company returned as guest artists. The Ballet Russe seasons were eleven months long and toured the United States and Canada. Irma Sandrey left the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in September 1951 on a leave of absence to appear on Broadway in the role of LIAT in South Pacific. She never went back to performing in either the New York City Ballet or The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. She unexpectedly turned her career to acting. She did however continue to take daily ballet classes for many years at the School of American Ballet, and was in condition to return even though she never chose to do so. Funeral services will be held at Kensico Cemetery Valhalla, NY on Sunday, September 4, 2016 at 11am. Under the direction of "The Frank E Campbell", 81st and Madison Ave., NYC, NY.