Spotlight - Gillian Murphy

Each month we highlight a Prix de Lausanne-related international dance artist.

Name: Gillian Murphy

Birthplace: Wimbledon, England (but I grew up primarily in Florence, South Carolina)

Training: University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Prix de Lausanne:

Prix de Lausanne Espoir 1995

Previous companies/positions:

There were no previous companies, as I joined ABT when I was seventeen, but I have recently guested with the Kirov Ballet (‘Swan Lake’), the Royal Swedish Ballet (‘Theme and Variations’), the Staatsballett Berlin (Balanchine rep), the Kiev Ballet (‘Cinderella’), etc. and in international galas.

Current company/position:

American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer

Favorite roles/choreographies:

Odette/Odile, Juliet in MacMillan’s ‘R&J’, Ashton’s Titania in ‘The Dream’, Lise in ‘La fille mal gardee’, and ‘Sylvia’, Hagar in Tudor’s ‘Pillar of Fire’, Kitri in ‘Don Q.’, Tharp’s ‘In the Upper Room’, Balanchine and Robbins repertoire; new creations.

Career highlight:

To have an ongoing career in a profession that speaks a universal language, knowing that this language elevates the human spirit.

Message to the Prix de Lausanne candidates:

Remember it is a privilege to have the opportunity to dance and share your gifts.

Message to the Prix de Lausanne organisation:

I truly appreciate your commitment to nurturing young talent, with an eye for recognizing both technical and artistic potential. The world-class training you provide is essential to so many aspiring professional dancers.