There is a monumentality to Sara Mearns’ dancing that was apparent even as a 19-year-old corps member cast as her first Swan Queen. In the thirteen years since, her performances have gained in power and focus, while never losing that edge of risk. She has performed a wide swath of the New York City Ballet repertory, and the courage of her performances has attracted many of today’s ballet choreographers, including Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham and Alexei Ratmansky. She has also begun to seek out collaborations beyond ballet, working with Pam Tanowitz, Jodi Melnick, Matthew Bourne and Joshua Bergasse, performing solos by Merce Cunningham and Isadora Duncan, and collaborating with the hip hop collective Wang Ramirez.

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PRESENTED BY MARC HAPPEL AND JODI MELNICK

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PERFORMANCE BY SARA MEARNS

Photo by Paul Kolnik