"In my mind," she later recalled, "it incited a fear of autonomy, of disappearing into the crowd, something highly disturbing and inhuman."
"[2][3] Within two weeks, she auditioned for the School of American Ballet, one of the options suggested by André Eglevsky, her dance teacher's husband.
Three months later, she was moved up, and later to a class taught by Suki Schorer, where she was spotted by George Balanchine, choreographer and co-founder of the New York City Ballet.
[4] Though her promotion to principal dancer came after Balanchine's death,[3] she had previously created several roles for him, including in Ballo della Regina and Walpurgisnacht Ballet.
[19][20] She had also performed his other works, including Dances at a Gathering,[21] In the Night,[22] The Concert,[23] Fancy Free,[24] Opus 19/The Dreamer,[25] and The Goldberg Variations.
[1] She opted to teach freelance, and had taught in both the U.S. and internationally, including at the Youth America Grand Prix.
[3] Apart from the Balanchine technique, her classes were also influenced by qigong, yoga and teachings from her former teacher Stanley Williams.