We are so fortunate to live in a time of ever-improving technology where we can attend meetings via Zoom, watch videos on our computers, and see streaming performances on our cell phones. With these wonderful modern inventions, it is easy to forget the amazing interactive experience of a live performance.
SNB elected to perform at Ranch San Rafael this year and (while the venue was very costly for us) we were happy to do it. As I walked onto the stage on July 17 to give my opening remarks before our Giselle (SNB’s first live performance since 2019), I was struck by the excitement and rush of energy that emanated from the audience. I found tears come into my eyes and I thought to myself: “There is nothing like LIVE Theater!”
The audience is as much a part of live theater art as the performers. Art is meant to be interactive. The artist and the viewer are necessary to create a complete work of art. This became all the more evident to me as SNB performed at four different venues with different audiences. The only similarity was the warmth, excitement, and joy that emanated from the crowds. We received an energetic welcome and a tumultuous standing ovation at every venue. It was inspiring and uplifting.
Artown Executive Director, Beth MacMillan described it beautifully: “We took a great chance presenting Artown at Rancho San Rafael, but it was worth it. We found that the audiences and the performers were so happy and excited to be able to have live performances again, and we were so glad to be able to do this for our community.”
Equally uplifting was the live theater experience of performing out in nature. The first act of Giselle takes place during the day, and the second act takes place in the dark of evening. “It was as if we were all there as part of the ballet,” said Beth MacMillan. “We were in daylight in the village and in moonlight in the woods.”
Several other audience members commented that in the 2nd Act, when the breeze came up and lifted the soft tulle of the skirts of the corps de ballet, it was magical: “The dancers looked as if they were floating on air.”
For me, the most amazing experience came when SNB performed Giselle at the beautiful Sand Harbor venue on Lake Tahoe as part of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
It was about four o’clock in the afternoon on July 26th when the SNB dancers took the stage at the venue on the beach to start blocking the choreography. It began to drizzle. We did our best, stopping periodically to let the tech crew wipe the stage. The drizzle continued on and off and seemed to subside during the dancers’ warm-up on stage. But as the dancers went to the dressing rooms to don their costumes, the wind came up and blew over the tent that was to be used for quick changes, and the rain came pouring down. We all waited tensely. The dancers could not perform on a wet stage, as it is too dangerous. I wondered what to do. I looked out into the audience thinking that people would leave. To my utter amazement, nobody left. In fact, more people came.
My mother (who passed away in 2008) was a marvelous ballet company artistic director. She taught me two important things: a ballet company director must try to remain positive at all times and (most of all) must have great faith. So I decided to call upon my Mom and ask for her help and guidance in this difficult situation.
The rain subsided. The tech crew wiped the stage, and I made the announcement that we would begin the performance. The audience gave us a big round of applause.
To our amazement, the rain drizzled a bit during the first act; increased at intermission, and subsided during the second act right up to the very last moment of the ballet when the lovers part and the spirit of Giselle returns to her grave. It was at that magical moment (as the music builds to a loud crescendo and as Albrecht stands alone heartbroken on stage holding one lily in his hand with his eyes up to heaven) that the rain suddenly poured down from the sky. With tears in his eyes, Albrecht dropped the lily to the ground on cue. It was utterly amazing! The audience all stood up and went wild with applause. All the dancers rejoiced. My only thought was: “We did it!! Thanks, Mom.”
In my 50 years of ballet, that had to be one of the most nerve-wracking performances I have ever experienced and one of the most uplifting. It is something I will never forget. One could never have such a performance in a virtual setting.
There is nothing like LIVE theater!!!
Photos by Alexander Cain Biber
Alexander Cain Biber (Principal Dancer/ Ballet Master/ Choreographer in Residence/Teacher) grew up in a performing arts family and has loved theater and performing from an early age. He began his ballet training, at the age of 14, with Rosine Bena at Western Nevada Performing Arts Center – studying ballet, jazz, tap, and musical theater. In 2003, Alexander became an apprentice with Sierra Nevada Ballet and was promoted to the first company in 2006, to soloist in 2008, and to Principal in 2012.
Jennifer Lightfoot-Johnson (Grant Writer and Development Consultant) comes to SNB with 16 years of experience, both professionally and as a volunteer, in grant writing and working in the nonprofit sector.
Jennifer Boyle August (Guest Teacher/Choreographer) discovered her love of dance in Reno, Nev. During her time at Reno High School, Jennifer took a Modern class at TMCC, with instruction in Graham, Luigi, and Horton dance technique. While Jennifer was educated in other areas of dance, she felt these styles spoke to her more than anything else. After graduating from Reno High School, she moved to Boston to study dance with Joan Palladino at Dean College where she received her Associate’s Degree in Dance. She was then hand-selected by Judith Jamison to study at Alvin Ailey Summer Dance Intensive program in New York City.
Sara Weir (Demi Soloist) was born in Provo, Utah, and started ballet at age three. She trained in dance with Trisha Wilstead at Rocky Mountain Dance and then trained with Brittany Squires and Heather Gray at Jaquiline’s School of Ballet. She performed professionally with Showcase and Theater Ballet at Brigham Young University, Utah Regional Ballet, and Sacramento Ballet.
Carlee Bertero (Soloist/ Teacher) was born in northern Nevada and began studying dance at an early age at Fascinating Rhythm School of Performing Arts in Reno. Carlee was invited to join the Sierra Nevada Ballet Apprentice program in 2012; was raised to the first company in 2013; to featured corps member in 2016, to Demi-Soloist in 2017, and to Soloist in 2021. She has performed in many SNB story ballets such as Peanutcracker-The Story In A Nutshell, Giselle, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty-A Fairy’s Tale, A Midsummer Nights Dream- A Steam Punk Ballet, and Twelfth Night-A Ballet Noir. She has performed as a featured dancer with SNB annually in Dancing By The River as part of Reno’s Artown Festival and in SNB’s annual Brew Brats and Ballet in Reno and Carson City.
Domingo Rubio (Second Permanent Guest Artist/Guest Teacher) is SNB’s second Permanent Guest Artist as of May 2005. He has danced professionally for some 30 years. Domingo has danced with the Joffrey Ballet and Ballet Hispanico and was featured in the Robert Altman film, The Company. Rubio danced the role of Maxfield Parrish in SNB’s, A Painter’s Love Story and is a featured artist in SNB’s Dancing By the River and annual ballet classics.
Sam Weber (First Permanent Guest Artist/ Guest Teacher) is SNB’s first Permanent Guest Artist and is a founding member of the Company. He was one of the first permanent guest artists of The Reno Ballet under the direction of Rosine Bena. Weber danced with the Joffery Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, and The Jazz Tap Ensemble. Besides being a fine ballet dancer, Weber is considered one of the greatest tap dancers in the world. He is known as “the fastest feet in tap.”
Gina Nelson (SNB Company Coordinator for Carson City and SNB Board Member) is originally from Napa Valley, Calif., and a long-time supporter of the arts and arts education. Gina worked as a crisis prevention specialist in a day treatment elementary school and was a counselor/teacher in a non-public school for at-risk boys.
Steven M. Porter (SNB Board President/SNB CEO) is a long-time devotee of the arts. Originally from the East Coast, Steve was raised with love and devotion to all the arts.
Cathy Mercer (SNB Company Coordinator for Reno/Managing Director/Board Member) grew up in Carson City and is a former dancer with a long-time devotion to the art form.
Ananda Bena-Weber (Associate Director, Dance Artist/ Ballerina/Principal/Teacher) is a principal dancer and NY award-winning artist and the Associate Director of the Sierra Nevada Ballet and a founding member. She has danced professionally as a soloist with the Reno Ballet when it was formed in 1994/95 and 1996. She danced with Perspectives Dance Theatre and Fascinating Rhythm Productions. She has appeared as a featured soloist with Sam Weber performing in Morton Gould’s “Concerto for Tap Dancer and Orchestra” throughout the SF Bay Area. She has appeared in principal roles in several original dance works such as Take Me To The River and Blue Rondo, and classics such as Les Sylphides, Romeo and Juliet, and Paquita.
Rosine Bena (Founder and Artistic Director/Master Teacher)
Sophia Riella (Trainee) was born in Truckee, Calif. She started ballet at the age of two with Sherrie Petersen, Sierra Ballet School and continued there for six years while also studying Irish and Scottish Dance with Lindsey Marccaci in Lake Tahoe and at Truckee Dance Factory doing competition dance. She has also studied classical music, composing, and piano with Elaine Courtney and has studied voice with Stephanie McMoy.
Erin Garman (First Year Company) began dancing at the age of 12 at Scene Stealers Theatre Arts where she trained in jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theatre, and ballet. She later began training with Fascinating Rhythm School of Performing Arts where she continued training in many styles and at Sierra Nevada Ballet Academy where she first met Rosine Bena, and started getting more serious about ballet, also dancing with Spiral Ballet.
Maya Macias (Trainee) was born in Houston, Texas into a military family. While her family was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee, at age two and a half years old, Maya began studying dance at the Children’s Ballet Theater because she wanted to go to “ballerina school. “ Maya continued her ballet training at Space Coast Ballet and when she was six years old, she began performing with Space Coast Ballet in the Nutcracker.
Olivia Mann (SNB Summer Demi Soloist) began studying at the age of four at Dallas Metropolitan Ballet, and the Dallas Ballet Center and later trained at Booker T. Washington for the Performing and Visual Arts.
Heather Rodriguez (Trainee) started dancing at nine years old in Corpus Christi, Texas. She continued studying Ballet, Contemporary, and Jazz throughout her childhood with Corpus Christi Concert Ballet.