Sara Mearns, New york City Ballet Principal Dancer, Named Phonak Brand Ambassador
STÄFA, Switzerland, Nov. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Sara Mearns, the first principal dancer with hearing loss at the renowned New York City Ballet, joins Phonak, a global leader in hearing care solutions, as Brand Ambassador and Hearing Health Champion. In this role, Sara will focus on raising public awareness about hearing health, normalizing conversations around hearing loss, and highlighting the importance of hearing solutions. As a Phonak Ambassador, Sara is committed to sharing her personal hearing journey, including the struggles and triumphs of living with hearing loss, to inspire others. Sara hopes that by openly discussing her own hearing loss, the importance of hearing protection, and the benefits of hearing solutions, she will encourage others to take proactive steps to protect their hearing or take action to hear better.
Known for her extraordinary versatility and musicality, Sara is an internationally celebrated ballet dancer with featured roles in beloved classics such as Swan Lake and George Balanchine’s The nutcracker. Sara began to share her 10-year struggle with hearing loss on her Instagram, revealing that she wore hearing aids for the first time during her performance as the Sugarplum Fairy in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker with the New York City Ballet this past Christmas.
Sara first noticed an issue with her hearing after attending a rehearsal held in an enclosed “metal gym” where around 100 drummers played for an hour. Upon leaving the gym, Sara began to struggle with her hearing. after a few days, a doctor confirmed she had hearing loss in low registers in both ears.
“My hearing worsened during the pandemic when I realized I had a problem because I couldn’t hear people talk with their masks on,” recalls Sara. “Then it hit me,I hadn’t been listening to people,I’d been watching their mouths. this whole time, I’ve been watching people talk instead of listening to them. I felt uncertainty and loneliness. Using hearing aids is part of me reclaiming my value and confidence as a person again and as a dancer. Together with Phonak, I want to educate and empower others to protect one of their most vital senses – hearing.”
Sara joins a growing roster of Phonak Ambassadors, including World Cup skier robin Gillon, Olympic kayaker Aaron Small, legendary guitarist paul Gilbert, professional soccer player Rylee Foster and WNBA basketball player Emma Meesseman.