A Day in the Life of Sara Mearns

September 4, 2014

Gorgeous ballerinas: Believe it or not, they’re people, too. New York City Ballet principal Sara Mearns may look superhuman onstage, but In a Day’s Work, a new film by former Miami City Ballet dancer Ezra Hurwitz, shows the work that goes into the creation of that illusion.

Hurwitz follows Mearns through an average day. We see her drinking her morning coffee at her apartment, taking class at Steps on Broadway, doing a promotional photo shoot (with our friend Erin Baiano), rehearsing in the studio, applying her stage makeup. It looks like a glamorous life—but it’s clearly a sweaty, exhausting and sometimes painful one, too. Layered over the footage is Mearns’ insightful commentary about what it’s like to live for dance.

Take a look!