Gelsey Kirkland
American ballerina (born 1952) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Gelsey Kirkland?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Gelsey Kirkland (born December 29, 1952) is an American ballerina. She received early ballet training at the School of American Ballet.[1] Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet in 1968 at age 15, at the invitation of George Balanchine. She was promoted to soloist in 1969, and principal in 1972. She went on to create leading roles in many of the great twentieth century ballets by Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Antony Tudor, including Balanchine's revival of The Firebird, Robbins' Goldberg Variations, and Tudor's The Leaves are Fading.
Gelsey Kirkland | |
---|---|
Born | Gelsey Kirkland (1952-12-29) December 29, 1952 (age 71) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Spouses |
|
Parents |
|
Balanchine re-choreographed his version of Stravinsky's The Firebird specifically for her.[2] She left the New York City Ballet to join the American Ballet Theatre in 1974 as a principal dancer.[citation needed]
Kirkland appeared in the dance role of Clara Stahlbaum in Mikhail Baryshnikov's 1977 televised production of The Nutcracker, which Baryshnikov also acted in as the titular Nutcracker/Prince. She left the American Ballet Theatre in 1984.[citation needed]