Dancers

Suzanne Farrell, CCM Prep ’50s, HonDoc ’90, earned accolades as one of the 20th century’s most important dancers during her 27-year career with the New York City Ballet. In 1960, she began studying at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet under a Ford Foundation scholarship. In '61, she joined the New York City Ballet (NYCB), where she was promoted to principal dancer four years later and Balanchine created many roles for her. She retired from performing in 1989, an unusually long time for a ballet career. For the next 10 years, she worked with ballets in Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Moscow (the Bolshoi Ballet) before founding the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She received a National Medal of Arts and a Kennedy Center Honor. (Watch video of her dancing with Sesame Street characters.)

Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch, CCM '96, is a choreographer, teacher and principal dancer with Martha Graham Dance Co., with whom she tours internationally. Prior to joining the company in 2002, she danced with Philadanco and Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre. She has also taught for the Princeton Ballet School, Long Island University, the Peridance Capezio Center, the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, the nonprofit Art of Motion, the Wyoming Seminary Performing Arts Institute, Arts YOUniversity and the Virginia Arts Festival. She is also co-founder of the Big Sky Project, a nonprofit performing arts organization interested in the healing powers of the indigenous arts.

Josh Prince, CCM ’96, is a noted Broadway choreographer. After graduation, he first moved to Los Angeles where he performed in “The Producers” with Jason Alexander and Martin Short. Next he received a grant from DanceBreak, a high-profile showcase for professional choreographers in NYC, to assemble two pieces. In 2008, he was selected as the choreographer for the new Broadway show “Shrek: The Musical,” for which he was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Choreography in 2009. In 2010, he choreographed the Kennedy Center Spring Gala. In early 2012, he was in London, setting  his original choreography for the West End production of "Shrek."

• Watch a video of Prince rehearsing dancers and describing Shrek choreography, including getting Lord Farquaad to dance on his knees.
• Watch a video of the show.
• See a longer list of Prince's Broadway credits.
• Read the New York Metromix article about Prince.

Kate Kahn, att. CCM ‘60s, was one a famous Dean’s Girl from 1967-70, appearing with the host on the “Dean Martin Variety Hour.” Prior to moving to Los Angeles for her television career, she performed on stage in New York City.