Cypress ballerina relishes role as mom

Sara Webb of Cypress and Peter Pan have at least one trait in common.

In the movie Peter Pan, Wendy tells Captain Hook that Peter Pan taught her how to fly by saying: "You just think happy thoughts. They lift you into the air."

That works for Webb, too, a principal dancer with the Houston Ballet since 2003.

"Thinking of my kids helps me to fly across the stage," said Webb, adding that she and her family often watch the movie Peter Pan . Her family includes husband, Ryan Bardo; son, Joshua Bardo, 3; and Lillian Grace Bardo, who's almost 6 months.

"Since I've had Josh, I think I've been to one movie," said Webb, adding that she'll watch the award-winning Black Swan, which is about ballet, on video.

Through March 20, Webb had been flying across the Wortham Center stage as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. She will perform next from May 26 to June 5 in a program in which three small ballets will be performed. Then it's on to perform as Bianca in Taming of the Shrew from June 9-19.

The Bardos have lived in Highland Timbers subdivision about eight years. They used to live in town, but when Webb's husband was stationed at Fort Hood, they wanted to shorten the commute. When they thought of buying a house, she took a drive with her parents to the Texas 249 and Cypress area.

The Bardos have lived in Highland Timbers subdivision about eight years. They used to live in town, but when Webb's husband was stationed at Fort Hood, they wanted to shorten the commute. When they thought of buying a house, she took a drive with her parents to the Texas 249 and Cypress area.

"I really like the suburb feel of it all. If you don't want to come into town, everything is available there," Webb said.

That includes the Barbara Bush Library, the Lone Star College Tomball library, parks, play areas in the mall and an updated YMCA near their house.

"I like the (Cy-Fair) school district. I loved that there were a lot of trees," Webb said. "When the hurricane comes, it's nice to be on the outskirts of town."

The commute to work isn't bad, she added.

Her workday starts at 10 a.m. with class. She has six one-hour rehearsal periods and her day ends at 6:45 p.m. The ballet company is based in a two-story building on West Gray between Woodhead and Dunlavy. The ballet has planned an April 9 grand opening for its six-story Center for Dance, which is in downtown Houston at 601 Preston St.

Webb looks forward to the move.

"Having a bigger building allows us to have more opportunity to work together as a group," she said. "It will be a nice opportunity to get to know more of the people who work and support Houston Ballet."

Though she recently turned 32, she credits her children for helping her to think young.

"I think I can maintain youthfulness by watching my children play," she said. "Not having kids before, I tried to remember what it was like to be young. Watching my children keeps me young."

At least one critic agrees. Theodore Bale of Culturemap Houston wrote, in part, "Sara Webb is a stellar Princess Aurora, not only because she looks like a gorgeous teenager, but also because she dances with a sense of freedom that epitomizes youth."

When Webb meets new people in her Cypress community, she introduces herself as the mother of two young children. She waits for them to ask what she does before she mentions that she is a ballerina.

"I think life experiences and being a mom makes you more emotional - more understanding. I bring more emotions into the roles I have."

Referring to screaming children at home, she said she's "definitely" a calmer person than before. "Before I got much more nervous before performing," she said.

While ballet has been part of her life since she was young — she went to study at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Fla., when she was 14 - she does talk about a plan B.

"I definitely want more children," she said.

Because her cousin has an autistic son, she said she'd like to help parents who have children with that condition. "I'd like to go into special education."

She also talks of "teaching down the road to help future dancers and pass on the knowledge that I have."

But while she loves the profession, she said, "I would hope my children would pick something else."