Ms. Namita Nayyar: Your dance training started at the age of three with Ann Brodie at the Calvert-Brodie School of Dance in Columbia. At the age of 13 you were trained with Patricia McBride at Dance Place, the School of North Carolina Dance Theatre, in Charlotte. You reached your pinnacle of success in ballet dancing when you became the principal dancer with New York City Ballet and later performed the lead in Swan Lake. Tell us about your professional dance journey from your childhood to reaching ‘New York City Ballet’ ?
Ms. Sara Mearns: I have trained since I was 3, and I was put on pointe when I was 7 1/2. That has made me the strong dancer I am today and prepared me for a huge role such a Swan Lake. That was and still is my favorite ballet since I was 7. I know the story backwards and forwards and have done a lot of research. I owe a lot to my director for giving me a chance at such a huge role at such a young age. It was his way of seeing if I had it in me to be something greater. Everything leading up to that moment since I was 3 factored into my ability to tackle such a challenge. My mother, the schools i went to including School of American Ballet, Calvert-Brodie in SC, and Dance Place in Charlotte NC. All my teachers gave me the tools I needed to become the ballerina I am today.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?
Ms. Sara Mearns: I am a huge fan of Gyrotonics. It has been part of my regime and rehab from injuries since I became a professional. I would recommend it 1-2 times a week at most. You can get very sore from it, so you have to allow your muscles and spine adjust with ease. I also have a stretching regime that I do every single morning that focuses around stretching my hips, psoaz, calfs, and butt muscles. This is all crucial to keeping my back long and relaxed. I have had some terrible back injuries that were muscle related and this prevents any relapses.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Sara Mearns: I try to keep all food groups in my diet and keep sweet things and sugar to a minimum. It’s all about balance and keeping my muscles strong and nourished. I eat lots of sushi, roasted chicken, all vegetables, dark green leaf salads such as kale or spinach, and love all types of berries, pineapple and bananas. I don’t like to eat the “meal bars”, I find they have too much sugar and extra carbs that I don’t need. I would rather have a small portion of pasta to keep my energy going. I love to have nuts, Greek yogurt, coconut water, smart water, one coke zero, and sometimes granola in my dressing room. I always eat pasta the night before I have a really really hard day. I also have red meat on a weekly basis.
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