December 18, 2009
STATEMENT FROM AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE
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 Andree 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 Chloƒó in John Cranko’s production of Daphnis and Chloe 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.