NYCB's Sara Mearns charts her next act?

Of all the dance events that go sideways, dancer-curated “special programs” have the highest rate of failure. Intentions are noble, but what often happens is an endless, indulgent evening of mediocre works. I still remember Natalia Osipova’s “curated evening” ending with a bizarre work by her fiancé Jason Kittelberger where she wrapped herself up in an area rug. It was thus with trepidation that I went to Sara Mearns’ evening at New York City Center.

The first piece was by Mearns’ longtime friend and occasional partner, National Ballet of Canada dancer Guillaume Côté. Don’t Go Home is more of a play than a dance piece. It is very meta, as Mearns plays Sara, a dancer who is auditioning for the role of Claire. Gilbert Bolden III plays Gil, a fellow dancer who is also auditioning for the role of Mark in the play. There is an anonymous voice of a director (Frank Wood) who makes snide comments and gives directives to Sara and Gil. 

Jonathon Young wrote the book, and while it wasn’t Chekhov, it did allow Mearns to show her surprising dramatic skills. She even had good comic timing. A highlight was her arguing with Gil about the logistics of partnering. But the self-doubt and perfectionist nature of Sara seemed autobiographical. The unsupportive words of the director is an unfortunate fact of life for both theater and dance. 

The actual choreography by Côté was not memorable. A bit generic and not helped by the loud, pulsating score. But as a theater piece, it worked. I would love to see Mearns on Broadway. She has a natural stage face and presence. She and Bolden had effortless chemistry. Mearns seemed to feel the work, and that energy was transmitted to the audience.

The second piece was more dramatic. Jamar Roberts’ Dance is a Mother had the look and feel of a prestige modern dance work, with music by Caroline Shaw. The joy of Dance is a Mother was watching Roberts dance again, and with Sara Mearns. He is a magnificent dancer. Noble and dynamic. And the partnership with Mearns was wonderful. Both have a way of devouring space in their movements, of seeming both recklessly bold and in total control. Seeing him and Mearns onstage together was a special event and needs to happen again.

But as an actual ballet, it didn’t work for me. The music by Caroline Shaw was portentous. This included a singer singing a rather meandering song And So that is based on Shakespeare’s A Rose By Any Other Name sonnet. There was over-dramatic lighting, angsty arm movements, but in the end, it made no real impact. Maybe it was because there was no real musicality in the steps. 

So while the evening was mixed, it ended up being … uplifting? Mearns has been very open about her mental health struggles on social media, and how ballet’s harsh, demanding standards contributed to those struggles. Therefore, it was wonderful to see how happy she looked dancing these pieces. Her body language was open and free. She was smiling and laughing during the curtain calls. 

Mearns and modern dance are a natural fit. Unlike most ballet dancers, she looks completely at home in the modern dance lingo. She doesn’t instinctively turn out when she should be turned in, or hold her hands in the basic five ballet positions. Her dancing has the earthiness, the to-the-ground quality of modern dance.

Mearns is also 39, and has had a number of injuries in recent years. She might be thinking about next steps, and this curated program gave a hint of the future: work in theater and modern dance.