Wand in Hand: Sara Mearns as the Sugarplum Fairy (2010). George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” performed by the New York City Ballet. Photo: Paul Kolnik.
In her solo, to the otherworldly music of the celesta, Mearns traced the filigreed patterns of the choreography with delicate footwork, letting that ethereal quality permeate her body until she seemed to be made entirely of spun sugar.