Nancy Raffa

Nancy Raffa (born c. 1964) is an American ballet master.

Early years

Raffa was born in Brooklyn, New York City.^[citation needed]

She began training in ballet under the instruction of Gabriella Taub‐Darvash.[1] She started dancing at the age of seven.[2] Raffa was one of the young dancers highlighted in a 1979 article in the New York Times.[3]

Dancing

At 16 years old, Raffa became the youngest, and first American female to win the Gold Medal at Prix de Lausanne in 1980.[4][5] That year, she joined Natalia Makarova and Company on Broadway.

In 1981 Raffa joined the American Ballet Theatre, where she became a member of the corps de ballet.[6]

Raffa danced many roles, including dancing in Tharp's Push Comes to Shove with Baryshnikov. She later joined as principal dancer with Ballet de Santiago, Ballet National Francaise, then Miami City Ballet.[7]

In 1981, Raffa performed at Jacob's Pillow, a dance center in Massachusetts.[8][9]

In 1985 she danced in a performance led by Twyla Tharp.[10] In 1987 she danced the role of Swanilda in Coppelia, and the New York Times described her performance as having a 'memorably luminous quality'.[11]

Teaching and coaching

After a serious injury, she retired from dancing and entered the field of teaching and coaching. In 1994, she joined the staff of the Miami City Ballet School. Raffa was twice awarded a special teacher's recognition from the National Foundation for he Advancement in the Arts. She was also awarded a grant from the United States Information Services to be a cultural ambassador for a company and school in Honduras. In addition, Raffa graduated magna cum laude in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from St. Thomas University.

Raffa became head director of the American Ballet Theatre's National Summer Intensive program. In 2007, she was promoted to ballet mistress with the main company. She also worked with the American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.[12] She has also worked closely with resident choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. She has aided him in his choreographic process for every ballet he has ever done with ABT. She sets many of his ABT works with companies around the globe.[13]

Awards and honors

In 1980 Raffa received a gold medal[14] in the International Ballet Competition.[4] She was the first American to receive a gold medal at the competition.[15]

References

1. Kisselgoff, Anna (1979-10-22). "Dance: Kozlovs With the Maryland Ballet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
2. Winer, Linda (1980-11-23). "Overworked, underpaid ballet dancers ask whether it's worth it". The Lexington Herald. p. 80. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
3. Kisselgoff, Anna (1981-07-28). "WOLF TRAP: A CONCENTRATION OF TEEN-AGE BALLERINAS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
4. "Concert to introduce dance directors". The Standard-Star. 1980-06-15. p. 38. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
5. "Brooklyn Dancer Wins Prize". The New York Times. February 11, 1980. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
6. Temin, Christine (5 November 1981). "THE MAKING OF A BALLET STAR; AT 17, NANCY RAFFA LEARNS THAT SUCCESS BRINGS MIXED BLESSINGS". Boston Globe (pre-1997 Fulltext) ; Boston, Mass. p. 1 – via Proquest.
7. "Faculy Bios: Nancy Raffa". ABT. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
8. Dunning, Jennifer (1981-08-08). "DANCE: JACOB'S YOUTHS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
9. Steinbrink, Mark (1981-08-02). "DANCERS WHO HAVE SCORED ABROAD". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
10. Dunning, Jennifer (1985-05-20). "BALLET: 'BACK PARTITA' AT MET". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
11. Dunning, Jennifer (1987-06-04). "DANCE: GABRIELA DARVASH'S 'COPPELIA'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
12. Weinstein, Tresca (April–May 2007). "Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School". Pointe ; New York. Vol. 8, no. 2. pp. 54–55 – via Proquest.
13. "Behind the Bun: An Interview with Nancy Raffa". Tulsa-ballet.blogspot.com. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
14. Kisselgoff, Anna (1990-02-11). "DANCE VIEW; In This Contest Winning Is Only The Beginning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
15. Dunning, Jennifer (1985-01-20). "THIS DANCE COMPETITION DOES MORE THAN GIVE PRIZES". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-10.