Susan Jones

Susan Jones was born in York, Pennsylvania and began her early dance training there. She continued her studies with Lucille Hood at the Rockville School of Ballet in Rockville, Maryland, and with Mary Day at the Washington School of Ballet in Washington, D. C. In 1969, Jones accepted an apprenticeship with The Joffrey Ballet, dancing with the original Joffrey II, and made her professional debut with the New York City Opera, Robert Joffrey, choreographic director.Jones joined American Ballet Theatre in 1971 and danced with the Company for eight successive seasons. Among her roles were the Cowgirl in Rodeo and The Accused as a Child in Fall River Legend. Her transition from dancer to staff member began in 1976 when, as Assistant Ballet Mistress, she assisted Twyla Tharp with Push Comes to Shove. She was appointed Ballet Mistress in 1980 and Regisseur in 1982. Jones returned to American Ballet Theatre as Ballet Mistress in August 1997 after a three-year absence during which time she mounted Natalia Makarova’s full-length La Bayadère for the Ballet del Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s production of Don Quixote (Kitri’s Wedding) for The Royal Ballet. In 1995, she staged ABT’s most recent production of Don Quixote in collaboration with Kevin McKenzie. Other stagings include Symphonie Concertante (2006) and Fall River legend (2007). Her Tharp stagings include Bach Partita (2013) and Brahms-Haydn (2015). In addition to her duties as Regisseur, Jones performs the role of the Dacha Dweller in The Bright Stream, Berthe in Giselle, the Nurse in Onegin and Nurse in Romeo and Juliet.