Ballerina Sara Mearns is all set to go on a new journey with her longtime boyfriend, Gavin Kelly. She recently shared the joyous news with the world.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleSara Ann Mearns is a well-known ballet dancer. Known for her grace and skills on the stage, she is recently making headlines as she enters a new chapter in her life. According to reports, the dancer recently got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Gavin Kelly.
The news of Sara Mearns and Gavin Kelley's engagement was shared by the couple in a conversation with PEOPLE. In a candid statement, she revealed that after being a dancer for almost four decades, she has finally found her soulmate. For those who don't know, Sara is a principal dancer at New York City Ballet. The news comes as a happy surprise for her fans, as she says:
"Being a human for 40 years and a dancer for 37 of them has led me to my soulmate. I would go through all of the good and the bad again if it meant he was on the other side."
The dancer has been with New York City Ballet for almost two decades. Whereas the 50-year-old Gavin Kelly is an arts organization director and writer, they have kept their long-term relationship private. Sara Mearns was previously married to famed choreographer Joshua Bergasse from 2018 to 2024.
While Sara Mearns and Gavin Kelly have kept their relationship on the down low, the dancer shared a glimpse of their relationship during the 2025 holiday season, posting a photo of Gavin gifting her a bouquet of flowers after one of her performances. The photo showed the couple embracing one another on the stage at the David H. Koch Theater inside Lincoln Center.
At the time, she starred as the 'Sugarplum Fairy' in the New York City Ballet's performance of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. At the time, she told the media outlet about the experience, noting that the "holidays mean Nutcracker." While they were in love, their journey was anything but easy.
Shortly after, Sara Mearns opened up about being diagnosed with nerve hearing loss, sharing that the 2025 holiday season was the first year she performed in The Nutcracker with her hearing aids. She shared how impactful it's been to go public with her story and recalled how a mother had come up to her after a screening and thanked her; because of her, the mother's son also thought he had a chance. She was quoted as saying:
"I was like, 'He absolutely does.' I just want all students, even professionals, anybody, to realize that this is not something that's gonna hold you back at all. This is such a huge community that I feel very honored to be part of. I want to help people, and I want them to feel good, and I want them to feel empowered in the way that I feel. I hope it works."
Sara Mearns reflected on her journey with her hearing loss, and how she didn't realize how much it affected her personal life and her mental health. The dancer has since shared her journey with hearing aids and reflected on how much they have improved her ability to perform. She wore the aids for the first time during the Diamonds in Copenhagen in August 2025. Sara shared that she can now be fully present and hear music and cues better than before.
"I went on stage, and it felt like everything made sense. I could hear every single instrument in the orchestra, and I didn't have to rely on my partner to know when to walk out. It was almost overwhelming for me on the stage. Afterward, I remember going to my dressing room and crying my eyes out. This is the start of a new chapter, and I don't have to worry anymore."
Congratulations, Sara Mearns and Gavin Kelley.
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