Photo of Merrill Ashley

Merrill Ashley

Merrill Ashley

“Balanchine liked individuals. He didn't want his dancers to look like a bunch of clones, even though he preferred a tall, slender, long-legged body. But overall he wanted individuals. If you look back through the history of the company, Balanchine selected very individualistic people. They are not like anybody else. They don't look like them, they don't move like them, they don't act like them.”

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