Farrell, Suzanne, 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 Ballet New York City Ballet, one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946.
..... Click the link for more information. . Balanchine Balanchine, George (băl`ənshēn'), 1904–83, American choreographer and ballet dancer, b. 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, Meditation (1963), and Don Quixote (1965). From 1970 to 1974 she was a member of Béjart Béjart, Maurice, 1927–, French ballet dancer and opera director. After studying in Marseilles, Paris, and London, he danced and choreographed for the Royal Swedish Ballet and the Ballets de l'Étoile before forming his own company in 1957.
..... 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 Robbins Robbins, Jerome, 1918–98, American choreographer and dancer, b. New York City as Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz. Robbins began his career dancing in musical comedy (1937).
..... 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 Martins Martins, Peter, 1946–, Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. He studied at the School of the Royal Danish Ballet and performed with its company (1965–69).
..... 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. In 1999, Farrell formed a chamber troupe with the backing of the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., and she and her company have toured.

Bibliography

See her autobiography (1991).

Farrell, Suzanne

orig. Roberta Sue Ficker

(born Aug. 16, 1945, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.) U.S. ballet dancer. She trained at the School of American Ballet and joined the New York City Ballet (NYCB) at age 16, becoming a soloist at age 18. George Balanchine created roles for her in ballets such as Meditation, Don Quixote, and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. After several years as principal dancer with Maurice Béjart's Ballet of the 20th Century (1970–75), she returned to the NYCB in 1975 as principal dancer. There she continued to create leading roles until she retired in 1989 and joined the faculty of the School of American Ballet, on which she served until 1993. She later formed her own company, which carried on the Balanchine tradition.

Farrell, Suzanne (b. Roberta Sue Fricker) (1945– ) ballet dancer; born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her mother encouraged ballet lessons as a cure for "tomboyishness." Noticed by a scout for the School of American Ballet, she auditioned for George Balanchine on her 15th birthday and won a scholarship to the school. After only six months in the New York City Ballet's corps de ballet, she became a featured dancer (1962); by 1965 she was a principal dancer. Called one of Balanchine's muses, he choreographed several dances for her including Variations (1966). She taught a masters class at the University of Cincinnati, and on her retirement from the Ballet at age 44, she taught at the School of American Ballet until she was fired in 1993.