Sara Ann Mearns (born 19 January 1986) is an American ballerina who is a principal dancer with New York City Ballet. She was born in Columbia, South Carolina, where she began dance training at the age of three. As a teenager Mearns continued her studies with Patricia McBride and Stanislav Issaev, before entering the School of American Ballet in 2001. She joined the New York City Ballet as an apprentice in 2003, and became a member of the corps de ballet in 2004. She made her debut in a leading role just 18 months later in the dual roles of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake at the age of 19. Mearns was promoted to soloist in 2006 and to principal in 2008.
In 2013 Mearns starred in A Dancer's Dream, a New York Philharmonic production choreographed by Karole Armitage and conducted by Alan Gilbert, which was broadcast nationally. In 2015 she made her Broadway debut in the “Lonely Town" pas de deux from the Tony-nominated musical On the Town, choreographed by Joshua Bergasse. She has also collaborated with the modern dance choreographer Jodi Melnick, resulting in the piece performed at the Guggenheim Museum in November 2016.
