Sierra Nevada Ballet is thrilled to announce a new expansion to a centrally located, easy access (just off the freeway) new home featuring state-of-the-art and much larger studios, and a collaborative, vibrant arts hub that will redefine the artistic experience for our community.
SNB is partnering with Steinway Piano Gallery and Music School; Sierra School of Performing Arts; Silver State Story Tellers; T&L Media; Dr. Jayson Weir; Dance PT Carri Cameron, and local visual artists to create an arts center featuring large studios, a visual arts lobby showcasing works from community artists, and a performance space (theater) for small presentations. This collaboration brings together ballet, musical theater, filmmaking, writing, visual arts, and music – all under one roof.
Families can now immerse themselves in the artistic experience, with the opportunity for students (age 3 through adult) to explore various art forms in a single, dynamic location. Our community can now “Listen, Learn, Dance, Perform, Laugh, Cry, Create and Gather Together” at 500 E. Moana Lane, Reno, NV 89502.
This exciting arts partnership began with Lamis Pritchard, owner and director of the Steinway Gallery in Reno, who has had the arts collaboration idea for many years. I met Ms. Pritchard through SNB Board member and ballet class piano accompanist Dr. Jason Weir. It took us only two meetings to realize that we had a similar vision and that our organizations would be a great fit to partner together. Lamis started Steinway Piano Gallery in 2006 with six music teachers and now has a staff of nineteen teachers with numerous recitals and concerts throughout the year. She told me, “It has been my dream to partner with fine arts organizations in our community to produce a performing arts center in Reno. My dream is finally becoming a reality.”
I met Janet Lazerus in 2005 when she began Sierra School of Performing Arts with a summer workshop at In Motion Dance School in Reno and asked me to teach a mime class at the workshop. Sierra School of Performing Arts has expanded since then and presents two large productions a year at different indoor venues and an outdoor series at Bartley Ranch in the Summer. Janet is equally enthusiastic about the arts collaboration: “It is exciting that we will all be together in one place. I cannot think of a better partnership.”
Lyric Burt and Taylor Wilson (who have worked with SNB through T &L Media for several years, in charge of marketing) recently started the nonprofit film making organization Silver State Story Tellers and are looking forward to moving to the new, inspiring location. Lyric expressed it very enthusiastically and beautifully: “Silver State Storytellers is thrilled to join forces with Sierra Nevada Ballet, Sierra School of Performing Arts, and Steinway Piano Gallery in crafting an arts and culture hub dedicated to enriching northern Nevada. Together, we aim to amplify the voices of Nevada artists, telling stories that resonate through the transformative power of dance, theater, music, film, photography, visual arts and literature. This collaboration symbolizes our collective commitment to fostering creativity, community, and the vibrant cultural tapestry of our region.”
Once our lobby is completed, SNB will invite selected local visual artists to exhibit and sell their work at different times throughout the year and be part of the collaboration at our new art hub.
Presently there is a small concert hall in the Steinway Piano Gallery but the new performing arts center plan includes expanding to a larger theater space with a stage in order to be able to include small dance, theater, music, and film presentations throughout the year.
We are bursting with excitement to share this incredible arts journey with all of you in our community and hope that you will drop by for a visit when we open in 2024.
For more information about Sierra Nevada Ballet, Sierra Nevada Ballet Academy or our new collaborative arts hub, visit www.sierranevadaballet.org or call SNB at 775-360-8663.
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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.