Ballet is an art form that is passed down traditionally from generation to generation.
I am reminded of the value of that tradition every year as we prepare for our annual production of the Peanutcracker-The Story In A Nutshell.
I was inspired by young audience members to choreograph Peanutcracker in 1993 in the SF Bay Area. After 25 years of performing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy professionally, I came to discover through speaking with young fans that the Nutcracker was often children’s first introduction to ballet and that often very young children found the full two-hour ballet long and difficult to follow. Peanutcracker is a 45-minute narrated version of The Nutcracker designed for families with young children. The Peanutcracker cast includes both professional dancers and a cast of student dancers to appeal to younger audiences.
The Peanutcracker was an immediate success in the Bay Area, and we have continued to perform it annually in NV since we founded SNB in 2001.
While some of the choreography for the professional dancers differs from year to year, most of the children’s roles remain the same, and we follow the ballet tradition of passing down a role from a past cast member to a present cast member. It is both refreshing and inspiring to see older, more experienced dancers help younger dancers learn the roles that they have done in past Peanutcracker productions.
The lead female child’s role of “Clara” is particularly important. I asked this year’s Claras (Mara Weir and Alexis Hanna) about the experience of learning the role from past Claras. Mara said: “I really like learning from others who danced the part because they have helped me feel more comfortable expressing emotion.” Alexis agreed: “they showed me how important it is to use my body to express my feelings.”
Haley Pershall (2018 Clara) and Sofia Riella (2019 Clara) said that they loved learning from past Claras because they shared their “inner thoughts” and “important performance tips” (such as how to hold the Nutcracker to make movement easier).
Dafne D’Olymio ( 2017 Clara) shared that: “Working with others who have performed the role helped me to have confidence; it was so wonderful having their support.”
Annika Johnson (2017 Clara) put it beautifully: “Learning the role from a previous Clara created a strong camaraderie between all of us. I had the pleasure of bonding with those girls, and that spirit of friendship is something that we are now able to pass down to later Claras.” She added: ”The older girls also shared the passion of ballet and Peanutcracker. Through their guidance, we not only learned the steps and timing but the joy and love and fun built into the foundation of the show. “
That joy and passion became evident to me last week in a Saturday rehearsal for Peanutcracker.
We had run through the entire ballet, and I was giving correction notes as I always do before we run through the ballet for a second time. I was correcting the younger, less experienced dancers in the “horse dance” that takes place in the party scene. I asked for volunteers from the cast: “ Are there any dancers present who have either danced this before or who know the dance who can demonstrate the excitement of the dance for these new young dancers?”
To my utter amazement, about 10 dancers volunteered to demonstrate. (Dancers from age 12 to 23: student dancers, SNB trainees, professional company members and even the SNB soloist who will perform the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy). They all danced with great enthusiasm; they demonstrated the camaraderie and esprit de corps that SNB has become known for.
I felt tears well up in my eyes; it was the most exciting horse dance that I have ever seen. When they finished dancing, the entire cast erupted in loud applause. When we had the second run-through of the ballet, the excitement and joy in the room had increased 100 percent.
The value of passing down ballet from generation to generation is something to be treasured. Ballet is an art form made of people, by people and for people. It is an art form that I have been in for over 50 years, and I have had the honor of learning from some of the greatest professionals in the field. 
Ballet is an art form I have treasured my entire life.
As Annika Johnson beautifully put it: “I am so grateful for all my mentors.”
Sierra Nevada Ballet performs Peanutcracker –The Story In A Nutshell LIVE in early December for both school children and for the community at the Carson City Community Center and at the Pioneer Center in Reno. For Ticket information call SNB at 775-360-8663 or visit www.sierranevadaballet.org.
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.