Farrell, Suzanne
Farrell, Suzanne
(fâr`əl), 1945–, American ballet dancer, b. Cincinnati, Ohio, as Roberta Sue Ficker. After studying in her hometown and at the School of American Ballet, she joined the New York City BalletNew York City Ballet(NYCB), one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th and 21st cents. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946.
..... Click the link for more information. . BalanchineBalanchine, George
, 1904–83, American choreographer and ballet dancer, b. St. Petersburg, Russia, as Georgi Balanchivadze. The son of a Georgian composer and a Russian mother, Balanchine attended (1913–21) the Imperial Ballet School, St.
..... Click the link for more information. , recognizing the emotional depth of her performances, created several roles for her in Movements for Piano and Orchestra (1963), Meditation (1963), and Don Quixote (1965). From 1970 to 1974 she was a member of BéjartBéjart, Maurice
, 1927–2007, French ballet dancer and opera director, b. Marseilles as Maurice Jean Berger. After studying in Marseilles, Paris, and London, he danced and choreographed for the Royal Swedish Ballet and the Ballets de l'Étoile before forming
..... Click the link for more information. 's Ballet of the 20th Century. In 1974 she returned to the New York City Ballet, where she resumed her role as Balanchine's muse and danced in many of his works including Schumann's Davidsbundlertanze and Tizane as well as in Jerome RobbinsRobbins, Jerome,
1918–98, American choreographer and dancer, b. New York City as Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz. Robbins began his career dancing in musicals (1937). In 1940 he joined the Ballet Theatre and in 1948 became associate artistic director of the New York City Ballet.
..... Click the link for more information. 's Concerto in G and others. Farrell became a teacher at the company after her retirement in 1989. Her strained relations with City Ballet's director, her former partner Peter MartinsMartins, Peter,
1946–, Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. He studied at the School of the Royal Danish Ballet and performed with its company (1965–69). In 1969 he joined the New York City Ballet, where he danced in numerous ballets, including Chaconne
..... Click the link for more information. , ultimately ended in her dismissal in 1993. Since then she has taught Balanchine's ballets, technique, and philosophy to dance companies throughout the world. From 1999 to 2017 Farrell headed the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, noted especially for its Balanchine performances, with the backing of the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. Since 2000 she has also been a dance professor at Florida State Univ.
Bibliography
See her autobiography (1991).