Merrill Ashley
Merrill Ashley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Linda Michelle Merrill December 2, 1950 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Education | School of American Ballet |
| Occupations |
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| Spouse |
Kibbe Fitzpatrick (m. 1974) |
| Career | |
| Former groups | New York City Ballet |
Linda Michelle Merrill (born December 2, 1950), known professionally as Merrill Ashley, is an American former ballet dancer and répétiteur. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1967, was promoted to principal dancer in 1977, and retired in 1997. She is one of the last dancers to have worked with George Balanchine, and coaches his works since she stopped performing.
Early life
Linda Michelle Merrill was born on December 2, 1950, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and raised in Rutland, Vermont. She started ballet at age seven. In 1964, at thirteen, she entered the School of American Ballet full-time with a scholarship.[1]
Career
She joined the
Outside of the New York City Ballet, Ashley toured with Jacques d'Amboise's troupe around the US and with her own group, Merrill Ashley and Dancers, in Hawaii. She also performed Paquita and The Sleeping Beauty with the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet (now the Birmingham Royal Ballet).[4] Her book, Dancing with Balanchine, was published in 1984.[3]
Ashley retired from the New York City Ballet in 1997, shortly before she turned 47, after 30 years of dancing.[5] She was the longest-serving dancer at New York City Ballet at the time.[4] She remained in the company as a teaching associate until 2008, then went freelance to coach Balanchine ballets in other companies. The documentary The Dance Goodbye follows her ten years after she retired dealing with injuries sustained during her dance career.[6]
Personal life
In 1974, Ashley married Kibbe Fitzpatrick, a United Nations linguist.[3]
References
- ^ a b c Whitney, Barbara. "Merrill Ashley". Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ Christiansen, Richard (January 10, 1985). "Ballerina Ashley's Story of Devotion to Balanchine". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b c Trucco, Terry (June 15, 1997). "A Last Link To Balanchine, A Virtuoso Still". New York Times.
- ^ ISBN 978-0199563449.
- ^ Kisselgoff, Anna (November 27, 1997). "Dance Review; An Opening for City Ballet, A Closing for a Favored Star". New York Times.
- ^ Kourlas, Gia (February 11, 2016). "Merrill Ashley Is in Focus at the Dance on Camera Festival". New York Times.
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