George Balanchine is still decades after his death, the best known choreographer of contemporary ballet.

23 of his original works were inspired by one dancer,

Suzanne Farrell.

I believe in destiny. I mean how could a little girl who had only seen Ballet Rousce once a year come to Cincinnati and do Nutcracker and her orbit intersects with Balanchine.

You know, it just seems so surreal. Laura Jacobs, who is a renowned dance critic and full disclosure a friend of mine, once described

Suzanne Farrell in the Ballet magazine Point this way. Fearless in the face of multiple pirouettes and perilous transitions,

she was like a force of nature. Earth, air, water, fire, feral.

On this

this episode the dancer who with George Balanchine changed the face of ballet

This is what it takes a podcast about passion, vision, and perseverance from the Academy of Achievement.

I'm Alice Winkler.

Had a man, this child is gifted.

And I heard that enough that I started to believe it.

If you have the opportunity, not a perfect opportunity,

and you don't take it, you may never have another child.

It all was so clear it was just like the

picture started to form itself. There was no way in which a lie could

prevail over the truth darkness over light

death over life every day I wake up and decide

today I'm going to love my life decide

decide

my advice is if they're going to break your leg once when you go in that place, stay out of there.

...