Women’s History Month with Barbara Bears
In honor of Women’s History Month, we will be spotlighting some of the women who help to lead Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Our first profile is of rehearsal director Barbara Bears. Barbara joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2023 after being a dancer with the Houston Ballet for more than 20 years, including as a principal dancer for 15 of those years. She also served as part of Houston Ballet’s artistic staff after her retirement from the stage. She created roles in more than 30 different ballets, most notably roles in Stanton Welch’s Indigo, Marie, Romeo and Juliet, and The Four Seasons and Ben Stevenson’s Dracula and Evening. Below is a Q&A with her about her artistic inspirations.
What first inspired you to pursue ballet?
When I was in elementary school, I received a flyer about ballet lessons. My mom thought I would enjoy lessons and signed me up. Here I am, decades later, with multiple successful ballet careers.
What’s your favorite part of the rehearsal process?
I love seeing dancers I work with improve and grow as artists.
What’s one of your most memorable moments from your dancing career?
Wow, I think I have too many to count. I’m so thankful for the opportunities I had as a dancer. I joined Houston Ballet as Corps member when I was 17. I worked with Margot Fonteyn, Jiri Kylian, Glen Tetley, Sir Kenneth MacMillan and countless other amazing choreographers and coaches. During my career, I had numerous ballet roles created for me and others that originated with me. I was fortunate to have had an extraordinary career that most dancers only dream of.
Who were some of your role models or mentors along the way?
Famed ballet dancers Natalia Markarova and Gelsey Kirkland were my idols. To me, they embodied every aspect of a role. They were amazing dancers and actors.
I grew up in Florida with Dawn Scannell (former Houston Ballet principal dancer and current ballet stager). We were trained by the same teacher and danced our entire careers together. No one worked as hard, or was as invested in the work as Dawn. We went through a lot together and I couldn’t have made it without her.
How do you foster an environment of collaboration, support, and growth in the studio?
As a rehearsal director, when I’m in front of dancers in the studio, I try to coach the artist as a dancer first and the role they are practicing second. Each dancer needs something different and is at a different point in their career. I try to meet the dancers where they are at the moment and encourage them to share their thoughts and ideas.
How would you like to be remembered in the ballet world, and what kind of legacy would you like to leave for future women in the field?
So much of what we do involves passing on information to the next generation. I hope I’ve made a difference in someone’s career, and if I have, they will share what they learned throughout their careers with others.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about the magic that happens behind the scenes in ballet?
It truly takes a village to produce a ballet! Everyone from the artists, crew, production, wardrobe, music and countless others must work together to get the show onstage. Next time you watch the Sugarplum Fairy in her Nutcracker variation, remember how many people contributed to the final product.