Sarah Lane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarah Lane
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Lane receiving prize money at USA IBC in 2002
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| Born | August 3, 1984 |
| Education | Draper Center for Dance Boston Ballet |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Luis Ribagorda
(m. 2007) |
Sarah Lane, born on August 3, 1984, is a talented American ballet dancer. She was a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, often called ABT. She also worked as a "dance double" for actress Natalie Portman in the 2010 movie Black Swan.
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Early Life and Training
Sarah Lane was born in San Francisco, California. She began her dance training at Classical Ballet Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. Later, her family moved to Rochester, New York. There, she continued her ballet studies at the Draper Center for Dance Education.
When she was 16, Sarah received a full scholarship. This allowed her to attend the Boston Ballet's Summer Program. She also won first place at the North American Ballet Festival in both 2000 and 2001. She also received the Capezio Class Excellence Award.
Awards and Recognition
In 2002, Sarah Lane earned the highest medal. This was in the Junior Division of the Jackson International Ballet Competition. During that time, she performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She was recognized as a presidential scholar in the arts. Also in 2002, she won the bronze medal at the Youth America Grand Prix Competition. Sarah Lane is also a YoungArts alumnus.
Ballet Career
Sarah Lane joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in August 2003. She started as an apprentice. By April 2004, she became a member of the company's corps de ballet. In June 2007, she was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine.
She was promoted to Soloist in August 2007. Later, in September 2017, she became a Principal Dancer. This promotion came after she successfully performed four major roles. These included the main character in Giselle and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. She also played a leading role in Souvenir d'un lieu cher. Sarah also created the role of Princess Praline in the ballet Whipped Cream.
In February 2020, Sarah Lane starred in the Richmond Ballet's "Swan Lake." She danced with Cory Stearns. This performance happened just one day after she performed "Giselle" in Washington, D.C. The original dancers from the Chinese National Ballet could not travel. The New York Times praised her debut in Giselle, calling it “distinguished.” Her time with ABT ended in 2020. In 2023, she briefly served as the Director of the School of Ballet RI.
Working on Black Swan
Sarah Lane worked as a "dance double" for Natalie Portman in the 2010 movie Black Swan. This film is a psychological thriller about ballet dancers. After the movie came out, there was some discussion about how much dancing Natalie Portman actually did.
In a blog post, Dance Magazine editor-in-chief Wendy Perron wondered if people truly believed that someone could become a ballerina in just one year. She noted that Natalie Portman had studied ballet as a child and trained for a year for the film. However, Perron felt this was not enough to be a ballerina. This led to responses from the movie's choreographer, Benjamin Millepied, and director, Aronofsky, who both defended Portman. Sarah Lane also shared her thoughts on the topic.
Personal Life
In December 2007, Sarah Lane married Luis Ribagorda. He was also a member of the ABT's corps de ballet. They live in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Selected Ballet Roles
Sarah Lane performed many roles with the American Ballet Theatre. Some of her important roles include:
- Nikiya and a Shade in La Bayadère
- Galya in The Bright Stream
- The Fairy Spring in Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella
- Blossom in James Kudelka’s Cinderella
- Swanilda in Coppélia
- Gulnare in Le Corsaire
- Kitri, Amour, and a flower girl in Don Quixote
- The Flames of Paris pas de deux
- Giselle and the peasant pas de deux in Giselle
- Columbine in Harlequinade
- Mrs. Fairfax in Jane Eyre
- The main role in Manon
- Vera in A Month in the Country
- Clara, the Princess in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker
- Olga in Onegin
- Other Dances
- One of Juliet’s friends in Romeo and Juliet
- Sinatra Suite
- Princess Aurora and Princess Florine in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty
- The Young Girl in Le Spectre de la Rose
- Odette/Odile, the pas de trois, Polish Princess, and a little swan in Swan Lake
- Waltz in Les Sylphides
- A Goat in Sylvia
- The lead in Theme and Variations
- Bach Partita
- Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes
- Raymonda Divertissements
- Souvenir d'un lieu cher
- Symphony in C
Roles She Created
Sarah Lane also created several roles in new ballets:
- Chinese Dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker
- The Rose in The Seasons
- The Fairy Miettes qui tombent (Breadcrumb) in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty
- Miranda in The Tempest
- Princess Praline in Whipped Cream
- Dream within a Dream (deferred)
- Private Light
