Susan Jaffe

Susan Jaffe

Susan Jaffe is an American ballet dancer, educator, and arts administrator known for a distinguished performing career and leadership in dance training. She rose to prominence as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and later transitioned to prominent pedagogical and directorial roles at institutions including the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and national adjudication panels. Jaffe’s career intersects with major figures and companies in twentieth- and twenty-first-century ballet, and her repertoire spans classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works by leading choreographers.

Early life and education

Jaffe was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and studied ballet from childhood with local teachers before attending regional conservatories and competitive programs such as School of American Ballet summer courses and workshops affiliated with the United States International Ballet Competition. She received formal training under pedagogues connected to the traditions of Mikhail Baryshnikov, George Balanchine, and the Royal Ballet, bringing her into contact with curricula influenced by Agrippina Vaganova, Enrico Cecchetti, and American ballet methods. Her early competitions and summer programs included venues that attract scouts from companies like New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre.

Professional dance career

Jaffe joined a professional company as a teenager and danced with ensembles that toured nationally and internationally, performing at venues such as Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Opera House, Sadler's Wells Theatre, and festivals including the Spoleto Festival USA and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She became a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, where she worked under artistic directors linked to the legacies of Mikhail Fokine, Jerome Robbins, and John Neumeier. During her tenure she partnered with leading danseurs and guest artists from companies such as Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and Kirov Ballet. Her engagements included televised galas produced by networks that showcased performances alongside stars like Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gelsey Kirkland, Natalia Makarova, and Sylvie Guillem.

Principal roles and repertoire

Jaffe’s repertoire encompassed canonical classical roles and pivotal contemporary premieres. She danced principal parts in full-length ballets such as the title role in Giselle, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and Kitri in Don Quixote. Her neoclassical and modern credits included works by George Balanchine, including principal roles in Serenade, Apollo, and other Balanchine revivals; pieces by Frederick Ashton; and contemporary works by choreographers such as Jerome Robbins, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Alonzo King, and Twyla Tharp. Jaffe created roles in premieres by leading creators like Liam Scarlett, Alexei Ratmansky, and Mark Morris, and performed featured parts in story ballets staged by companies including Royal Danish Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, and Teatro alla Scala.

Teaching, directorships, and choreography

After retiring from full-time performance, Jaffe moved into pedagogy and arts leadership, holding faculty and directorial posts at institutions such as the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, the Juilliard School conservatory, and the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She has served on advisory panels and juries for competitions and organizations including the International Ballet Competition and national arts councils, and has lectured and given master classes at companies and schools like San Francisco Ballet School, Royal Ballet School, Paris Opera Ballet School, Harkness Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, and Boston Ballet School. Her administrative work included curriculum development, dancer wellness initiatives in partnership with medical centers affiliated with Mount Sinai Health System and Hospital for Special Surgery, and commissioning new choreography for conservatory ensembles. As a choreographer and rehearsal director, she staged pas de deux and full-length works for touring companies and festivals such as Jacob’s Pillow, the Vail International Dance Festival, and university dance programs tied to Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival tradition.

Awards and honors

Jaffe’s contributions have been recognized with awards, fellowships, and honorary distinctions from arts organizations and municipalities. She received commendations tied to dance foundations and trusts associated with figures like Lincoln Kirstein and organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Princess Grace Foundation, and city arts commissions. Her work has been celebrated in retrospectives and gala tributes alongside honorees like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Martha Graham, and Alvin Ailey, and she has been listed among prominent dance leaders in publications connected to Dance Magazine, The New York Times arts coverage, and scholarly compilations from institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and university presses.

Category:American ballerinas Category:People from Pittsburgh Category:American Ballet Theatre dancers