Sara Webb
Encyclopedia
Sara Webb is an American professional ballet dancer and a principal dancer with the Houston Ballet
(2003–present).
A native of Henderson, Nevada
, Sara Webb received her early training at the Academy of Nevada Dance Theatre and at the Harid Conservatory
in Boca Raton, Florida
, from which she graduated in 1996.
After attending the Houston Ballet Academy, Ms. Webb was invited to join Houston Ballet
in 1997. She was promoted to soloist in 2000 and to principal in 2003.
She has performed the lead roles in a number of Ben Stevenson
’s classical productions, including Aurora and Blue Bird in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Kitri in Don Quixote, Swanilda in Coppélia, Alice and Tiger Lily in Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella in Cinderella, the pas de deux from Esmeralda, and both Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker. Equally familiar with the work of other classical choreographers, she has also been featured in the lead roles in Sir Frederick Ashton
’s La Fille Mal Gardée; Stanton Welch
’s Swan Lake and Madame Butterfly; Sir Kenneth MacMillan
’s Manon; Maina Gielgud
’s staging of Giselle; and James Kudelka’s The Firebird. Trey McIntyre
created and set on Ms. Webb the role of Wendy in his Peter Pan (2002) and the role of Thumbelina in The Shadow (2003).
In addition to her classical work, Ms. Webb has performed feature roles in a number of Houston Ballet’s repertory works, including Stanton Welch
’s Nosotros, Divergence, Maninyas, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth, Indigo, Velocity and Bruiser; Mr. Stevenson’s Four Last Songs and Five Poems; Christopher Bruce
’s Ghost Dances, Sergeant Early’s Dream, Rooster and the world premiere of Hush; Trey McIntyre
’s Second Before the Ground; Serge Lifar
’s Suite en Blanc; Harald Lander
’s Etudes; Jiri Kylian’s Forgotten Land; Sir Kenneth MacMillan
’s Gloria (Pas de Quatre); George Balanchine
’s Theme and Variations, Apollo, Western Symphony, The Four Temperaments (the Sanguinic couple) and Serenade (Russian Girl); Sir Frederick Ashton
’s Les Patineurs; Nacho Duato’s Without Words; William Forsythe’s In the middle, somewhat elevated; Lila York’s Rules of the Game; Natalie Weir
’s Steppenwolf and The Host; Julia Adam’s The Accidental; and Mark Morris
’s Sandpaper Ballet. Ms. Webb was a finalist at the 2002 International Ballet Competition, performing Mr. Stevenson’s Twilight, which he choreographed and set on Ms. Webb and Ian Casady for the competition, and they performed in its world premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre
in Moscow
in 2002.
Mrs. Webb was honored to perform two Stevenson works — Twilight and the Esmeralda pas de deux — at the June 2003 gala honoring Mr. Stevenson on the occasion of his retirement as artistic director of Houston Ballet. Ms. Webb is married to Ryan Bardo.
Sara is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is married, and has 2 children.
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...
(2003–present).
A native of Henderson, Nevada
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
, Sara Webb received her early training at the Academy of Nevada Dance Theatre and at the Harid Conservatory
Harid Conservatory
The Harid Conservatory is a ballet training school for high-school age students. It was established in 1987 and is located in Boca Raton, Florida. It offers four-year curriculum includes ballet and related dance courses. Academic studies occur at the Spanish River Community High School, also...
in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
, from which she graduated in 1996.
After attending the Houston Ballet Academy, Ms. Webb was invited to join Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...
in 1997. She was promoted to soloist in 2000 and to principal in 2003.
She has performed the lead roles in a number of Ben Stevenson
Ben Stevenson
Ben Stevenson, OBE , is a former ballet dancer with Britain's Royal Ballet and English National Ballet, co-director of National Ballet in Washington, D.C...
’s classical productions, including Aurora and Blue Bird in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Kitri in Don Quixote, Swanilda in Coppélia, Alice and Tiger Lily in Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella in Cinderella, the pas de deux from Esmeralda, and both Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker. Equally familiar with the work of other classical choreographers, she has also been featured in the lead roles in Sir Frederick Ashton
Frederick Ashton
Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
’s La Fille Mal Gardée; Stanton Welch
Stanton Welch
-Early Life:Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch, two prominent Australian dancers.-Career:Welch was initially trained at the dance school run by his parents...
’s Swan Lake and Madame Butterfly; Sir Kenneth MacMillan
Kenneth MacMillan
Sir Kenneth MacMillan was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977.-Early years:...
’s Manon; Maina Gielgud
Maina Gielgud
Maina Gielgud is a former British ballet dancer and a veteran ballet administrator. She was artistic director of the Australian Ballet from 1983 to 1996 and is that company's longest serving director to date. She had a twenty year career as a dancer in Europe and the United Kingdom. Gielgud...
’s staging of Giselle; and James Kudelka’s The Firebird. Trey McIntyre
Trey McIntyre
Trey McIntyre is an American dancer and choreographer. McIntyre was born in Wichita, Kansas. He trained at North Carolina School of the Arts and Houston Ballet Academy...
created and set on Ms. Webb the role of Wendy in his Peter Pan (2002) and the role of Thumbelina in The Shadow (2003).
In addition to her classical work, Ms. Webb has performed feature roles in a number of Houston Ballet’s repertory works, including Stanton Welch
Stanton Welch
-Early Life:Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch, two prominent Australian dancers.-Career:Welch was initially trained at the dance school run by his parents...
’s Nosotros, Divergence, Maninyas, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth, Indigo, Velocity and Bruiser; Mr. Stevenson’s Four Last Songs and Five Poems; Christopher Bruce
Christopher Bruce
Christopher Bruce is a choreographer and performer born in Leicester on 3 October 1945. He was Artistic Director of the Rambert Dance Company until 2002....
’s Ghost Dances, Sergeant Early’s Dream, Rooster and the world premiere of Hush; Trey McIntyre
Trey McIntyre
Trey McIntyre is an American dancer and choreographer. McIntyre was born in Wichita, Kansas. He trained at North Carolina School of the Arts and Houston Ballet Academy...
’s Second Before the Ground; Serge Lifar
Serge Lifar
Serge Lifar ; 15 December 1986) was a French ballet dancer and choreographer of Ukrainian origin, famous as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century.-Biography:Lifar was born in Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire...
’s Suite en Blanc; Harald Lander
Harald Lander
Harald Lander is a Danish dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet.Lander started as a dancer, studying under ballet master Michel Fokine in 1926-27...
’s Etudes; Jiri Kylian’s Forgotten Land; Sir Kenneth MacMillan
Kenneth MacMillan
Sir Kenneth MacMillan was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977.-Early years:...
’s Gloria (Pas de Quatre); George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
’s Theme and Variations, Apollo, Western Symphony, The Four Temperaments (the Sanguinic couple) and Serenade (Russian Girl); Sir Frederick Ashton
Frederick Ashton
Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
’s Les Patineurs; Nacho Duato’s Without Words; William Forsythe’s In the middle, somewhat elevated; Lila York’s Rules of the Game; Natalie Weir
Natalie Weir
Natalie Weir is an Australian choreographer, currently Artistic Director for the Expressions Dance Company in Australia.-Education and career:...
’s Steppenwolf and The Host; Julia Adam’s The Accidental; and Mark Morris
Mark Morris
Mark William Morris is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments...
’s Sandpaper Ballet. Ms. Webb was a finalist at the 2002 International Ballet Competition, performing Mr. Stevenson’s Twilight, which he choreographed and set on Ms. Webb and Ian Casady for the competition, and they performed in its world premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 2002.
Mrs. Webb was honored to perform two Stevenson works — Twilight and the Esmeralda pas de deux — at the June 2003 gala honoring Mr. Stevenson on the occasion of his retirement as artistic director of Houston Ballet. Ms. Webb is married to Ryan Bardo.
Sara is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is married, and has 2 children.