Georgina Parkinson – Rest in Peace

She will be missed and missed and missed. . . .

STATEMENT FROM AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

12/18/2009 - The dancers and staff of American Ballet Theatre sadly note the passing of Ballet Mistress, Georgina Parkinson. Ms. Parkinson, a cherished member of ABT’s Artistic Staff for more than 30 years, died Friday, December 18 after complications from cancer.

Born in Brighton, England, Ms. Parkinson was a highly acclaimed Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet. She first came to prominence in the title role of Andrée Howard’s La Belle Dame Sans Merci and with her performances as the Gypsy Girl in Two Pigeons and the Wife in Kenneth MacMillan’s The Invitation. With The Royal Ballet, she created several roles including Rosaline in MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, Winifred Norbury in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations, the second movement in Monotones and Chloë in John Cranko’s production of Daphnis and Chloë with the Stuttgart Ballet. Her last created role as a dancer was the Empress Elisabeth in MacMillan’s Mayerling, marking the end of her career with The Royal Ballet.

Parkinson was appointed Ballet Mistress with American Ballet Theatre in 1978. With ABT she has also performed the roles of the Stepmother in Agnes de Mille’s Fall River Legend, Madame Larina in Onegin, the Countess Sybille in Raymonda, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, the Queen in The Sleeping Beauty and the Queen Mother in Swan Lake. She created the role of Mrs. Harriman in Twyla Tharp’s Everlast and a leading role in Robert Hill’s Reverie.      

Photo by Roy Round

From the NYT's archives.

Here's a link to a wonderful article about Georgina that Dance Magazine published in 1994.  It was written by Hilary Ostlere.

On DanceAdvance.org, there is an article about Georgina by Bill Bissell which originally appeared in the Fall 2005 issue of Dance Now as well as his interview with her from June 2004.

Heartfelt sympathies to Georgina's family and to all of ABT.  She will be greatly missed.   We have so many wonderful memories of her stirring performances, including her emotional Lady Capulet in recent years.  No one brought the curtain down on Act II like Georgina.