In my 28-year professional ballet career I had the great honor of dancing leading roles in most of the famous classic ballets, and, while I loved all of them, nothing could compare with the experience of being a “mother”. Having a family while being an active professional dancer is exhilarating yet challenging.
In celebration of Mother’s Day, I thought it appropriate to highlight two SNB dancers who seem to manage both roles beautifully: Sara Weir and Kimberly Yukes.
Both dancers joined SNB in 2019 and will be featured in SNB’s virtual production of Brew, Brats, and Ballet (BBB) that will be presented on the Reno Little Theater’s website May 20th through the 23rd and at the Brewery Arts Center’s Drive-In Movie on June 5th and 6th.
Sara Weir and family
Sara Weir began formally studying ballet at the early age of 3, while Kimberly Yukes learned ballet informally at home from her older sister and began formal study much later. Both women have had many years experience dancing professionally, and both are devoted to their families. Sara has four children: two girls and two boys (ages 11,10, 8 and 6). Kimberly has two children: a girl and a boy (ages 11 and 8).
Kimberly Yukes and daughter
Ballet is a very physically and emotionally demanding art form, and juggling motherhood with a career demands a great deal of dedication, discipline, and determination. Sara explains: “The challenges definitely revolve around scheduling and managing our evenings carefully so we can still enjoy meals and quality time together.”
Kimberly feels that she often has to be away from her children in the evenings: “I have major mom guilt and just miss them so much, but the truth is, they are just fine, and it’s probably for the best that I can go pursue my passions and return as a better person and mother.”
Sara agrees “I love being an example of continuing to do the things I love for my children. I love that they see me work hard at something and what that does for me as a person and as a mother.”
It appears that both women have passed down their love of dance to their children. Sara’s two daughters study ballet at SNB Academy, and Sara has been teaching her sons to learn partnering skills. Sara is “certain that ballet will be a part of their lives in some way.”
Kimberly’s daughter started out studying ballet but found a passion for hip-hop dance and contemporary. “Both of my children love to dance! We love to have dance parties and dance battles and just go crazy.” Kimberly said: “My son has some amazing ninja and breakdancing moves that he has created, and he has a great sense of rhythm.”
Sara is looking forward to the next few months as SNB returns to the live stage. “It’s magical to perform. Being part of a live production is very special, and I cannot wait to be in that space with my wonderful SNB family.” She said: “I’m really looking forward to debuting all the original works for BBB and also looking forward to executing the difficult simplicity of Giselle. It’s a beautiful romantic ballet with such magical feeling.”
Kimberly loves Brew, Brats and Ballet: “It is special because it is a mix of different styles of dance and different choreographers too. I feel like it is a treat for us dancers as well as for the audience to get to experience a large variety.“ She is also excited to start working on Giselle: “Giselle is one of my favorite ballets. It is beautiful and I love the drama in it as well.”
Combining the gift of dance and motherhood is a unique experience, and Kimberly describes it well: “The gems I get from seeing the world through the eyes of my little ones allows me to find a sense of magic, wonder and light even in the mundane. It feeds my creative mind and my ability to express. I try to evoke the magic and wonder when I perform and express myself.”
Sara adds: “Being a mother cannot be explained in simple words, but I will say that the richness of motherhood has given me a wisdom that I hope I carry into my dancing. Being a dancer and the richness it has given my life is something I also hope I carry into my mothering.”
Join us and see both dancing Moms on stage in action this May and July!
For information about SNB performances or the SNB Academy visit the SNB website at www.sierranevadaballet.org or call SNB at 775-360-8663
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.