Suzanne Farrell

Suzanne Farrell – Life, Career, and Artistic Legacy

Suzanne Farrell (born August 16, 1945) is an iconic American ballerina, teacher, and founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Discover her journey with Balanchine, her innovations, pedagogy, and lasting influence on ballet.

Introduction

Suzanne Farrell (born Roberta Sue Ficker on August 16, 1945) is widely regarded as one of the great ballerinas of the 20th century. Farrell’s career spans performance, pedagogy, choreography revival, and artistic direction, making her a central figure in American ballet history.

Early Life and Training

Suzanne Farrell was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, as Roberta Sue Ficker. School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. The Nutcracker.

In 1961, she joined the corps de ballet of the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and began ascending through featured roles.

Career & Artistic Partnership with Balanchine

Rise as Muse and Principal Dancer

Farrell’s artistry quickly drew the eye of George Balanchine. He regarded her as his muse, crafting ballets and roles around her unique qualities: musical sensitivity, refined line, and expressive subtlety. Dulcinea in Don Quixote (1965) and her performance in the Diamonds segment of Jewels (1968).

She was promoted to principal dancer and regularly performed lead roles in Balanchine’s repertory.

European Sojourn and Return

In 1969, after marrying fellow dancer Paul Mejia, her relationship with Balanchine and NYCB became strained, and she left the company. Ballet of the 20th Century, a Brussels-based company led by Maurice Béjart. There, she danced roles created for her in works such as Bolero, Rite of Spring, Nijinsky, Clown of God, and others.

In 1975, she returned to NYCB and resumed collaborating with Balanchine until his death in 1983. During this second phase, Balanchine created new works for her including Chaconne, Mozartiana, Tzigane, Davidsbündlertänze, among others.

Retirement and Transition to Teaching & Direction

By the mid-1980s, Farrell began to develop arthritis, especially in her hip, which made high-level performance increasingly difficult.

After retiring, she continued her involvement in ballet by teaching, coaching, staging, and preserving Balanchine’s legacy. She was a teacher and coach at NYCB until 1993.

In 2000, she joined the faculty of Florida State University as a professor of dance and, in that same year, founded the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, a company in residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Balanchine Preservation Initiative.

In 2016, the Kennedy Center announced that the Suzanne Farrell Ballet would disband after its 2017 season; her role remains that of an artistic partner and mentor.

Style, Artistic Traits & Persona

Farrell’s dancing was marked by a blend of musical intelligence, line, clarity, and emotional nuance.

As a muse, she had a collaborative rapport with Balanchine: she often interpreted choreography by drawing from musical impulses, trusting his vision with personal artistic interpretation.

In her teaching and coaching role, she prioritized authenticity, musicality, style, and fidelity to the choreographer’s intent. She has staged works across major companies worldwide as a repetiteur of the George Balanchine Trust.

Honors & Recognition

Suzanne Farrell’s contributions to dance have been richly honored:

• Kennedy Center Honors, 2005

• Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2005 (the highest civilian honor in the U.S.)

• National Medal of Arts

• Election to the American Philosophical Society, 2016

• Honorary degrees from institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame, Georgetown, and others

She is also celebrated as steward of the Balanchine legacy via her staging, revival, and preservation efforts.

Lessons from Suzanne Farrell

1. Artistic Stewardship Matters
   Beyond being a performer, Farrell has dedicated herself to preserving and interpreting the works of Balanchine for future generations.

2. Musical Sensitivity Transcends Physicality
   Even when technical extremes weren’t her signature, her deep musical connection and stylistic clarity gave her a unique power.

3. Reinvention Is a Lifelong Path
   She navigated transitions from star dancer to coach, artistic director, and educator—maintaining relevance and influence across roles.

4. Authenticity in Collaboration
   Her strong partnership with Balanchine shows the value of trust, interpretative agency, and artistic dialogue, rather than passive execution.

5. Legacy Beyond the Stage
   Her influence is felt in the dancers she taught, the ballets she revived, and the companies she shaped.