A Ballerina's Career in a Nutshell: Susan Jaffe

[@lorakarlash248]

The wonderful debut of the talented girl took place in a duet with the brightest star of the Bolshoi Ballet! The brilliant Sasha Godunov is the standard of a male classical dancer, an excellent partner! The dream of a prima ballerina to have a reliable partner, a professional of the highest level + a beautiful male dancer and a virtuoso! It is happiness for a young ballerina to start a career in a duet with a dancer of this level!

[@rlatimer10]

So honest and lovely. Real talented people usually feel this way. ❤️

[@nocureforprincesstepidchee7382]

Thank you Susan for your intellect and candor. I enjoyed hearing about your story of discovery. You are a model for the younger dancers.

[@kathymyers7279]

wow. gelsey Kirkland. if you screw around there's always someone there to take your place. Susan had the raw talent but brought it to the next level through WORKING and exploring her deep instinct. very inspiring to me in my little world! so scriptural.

[@RONIDC1979]

i met a woman on a train once. on the way to the rock school at pennsylvania ballet. the woman who was sitting next to me said." i had a friend in high school who was a dancer . i haven't seen her in years but i always wondered what hapened to her". "last i heard she had gone to new york. "i never saw her dance but she was a wonderful purpose and i hope she made it cause i think she deserved it" i said what was her name " susan jaffe" 0_0 ! im like oh yeah she made it. ...life is funny

[@PalacinkyPDX]

Such wonderful discussion from a great dancer and an ever greater woman! Thanks for posting.

[@icarrus4u]

Great story!

[@balletex]

Great artist! so honest!

[@karenkaren3189]

What a nice woman! I was impressed with her character, that she didn't say the reason why Bissell and Kirkland couldn't perform that opening night (it was probably related to their drug use). She was so kind and discrete not to mention it.

[@kathymyers7279]

Karen Katz yes. says Alot. I thought I also detected her almost being moved to tears as she spoke.

[@tommydenzio]

Fabulous!

[@TheVestini]

Perfection

[@Omgirrl]

That's a great story.

[@MarqueeTV]

Ha ha! Thanks for sharing!

[@fluffernuffer6670]

she founded my ballet school

[@kvhowells]

❤

[@kenjoneslee]

Interesting how insecure many people are....especially in the arts. I'm 62 and studied ballet for ten years. I have a different perspective on the art of ballet and dance. Classical ballets have rather silly, simplistic plot lines. As such, it seems to study a "role" with such conviction as Susan described is placing far too much importance on something that doesn't actually require it. She is right....dance steps don't mean anything in and of themselves. The meaning of dance, or the purpose of dance, should be to enhance the participant's life. Dance, from the point of view of the dancer, is essentially a "felt" sensory experience. It's not visual. It's the "feeling" of the movement that should enhance the dancer whenever they execute dance movement. A dancer could focus on a story line or persona they wish to exude while dancing, BUT ballet steps in particular have no real meaning at all, symbolic or otherwise. When I dance and improvise, I focus on feeling the movement and how the music motivates me and the movement. When if feels awkward, I change it. I am not a performer. I dance to feel good. The arts have one primary purpose....to enhance the human experience. Most humans are "gifted" enough to participate directly in one or more art forms. Sadly, the elites in the art world do NOT project this message. They are too busy focusing on the commercial aspects of art, which makes they focus entirely on the "most gifted" humans at the expense of ignoring everyone else.