Mara Klenda

Mara began her ballet training at the age of three in Tacoma, Washington. She has studied with David Howard, George de la Pena, Rebecca Wright, Kimberly Glasco, Boston Ballet School, Wichita State University, and chiefly with Nancy Hervey and Jill Landrith at Nancy Hervey School of Ballet in Wichita, Kansas.

In 1989, Mara joined Ballet Wichita, formerly Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita, as a junior member. In 1995 she was promoted to soloist, and to principal in 1998. Her roles include Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop Fairy, and nearly every other female role in "The Nutcracker", Effie in "La Sylphide", Mazurka in "Les Sylphide", "Paquita", Little Swan in "Swan Lake", the title role in Snow White and many others. Mara created roles in Jill Landrith's "Merlin's Song", "Blue", "Torch", and others. In 1999 Mara was awarded the Kansas Cultural Trust Grant.

Mara has been a ballet teacher and choreographer in Kansas for 20 years. She taught at the Nancy Hervey School of Ballet, the school of Ballet Wichita. She has also been on staff at the Center For World Dance, The Movement Authority, Wichita YMCA, Goddard Public Schools and is currently Ballet Mistress at Artistree at the Forum in Hutchinson, KS. Mara is the Director of Ballet at Tamara Howe School of Dance and is the Artistic Director of Ballet Salina, where she has staged classical works such as “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Les Syplphides” and “The Nutcracker” as well as choreographed many new works, including her most recent ballet, “sAINTs”. Mara also coaches dancers to compete in the Youth America Grand Prix.