Photo of last year's year end performance by Mary Dunbar

We have not had many Artistic Directors - because we have had the good fortune for most of them to be with us a long time.  One of them, Marjorie Mussman, passed away this fall, and I would like to take a moment to tell you more about her, in memoriam. 

When Marjorie came to us she was already quite famous in the dancers' world-she had not only been a dancer with a major modern dance company (José Limon), but also with the Joffrey Ballet.  She was one of the most sought-after teachers in Manhattan, with dancers from both the ballet and modern dance worlds taking class with her daily.  Our first Artistic Director, Dermot Burke, lured her here in 1988 to be a choreographer and balletmistress for Princeton Ballet, and also to teach advanced classes in the school.  In 1992, she became Artistic Director.  Unfortunately, in 1993, our organization had significant financial difficulties, which led to her decision to resign that post and return to her teaching in New York.  Most of her career after that point has been spent teaching ballet as company teacher for the Mark Morris Dance Group, and open classes at their studio in Brooklyn.  She died of cancer this past September.

Marjorie Mussman and Princeton Ballet School was a match made in heaven.  Her deep knowledge of both ballet and modern dance informed her teaching, which in turn shaped a generation of adventuresome dancers, and strongly influenced most of the teachers in our school, including me. Our contemporary way of teaching ballet, with emphasis on anatomy and focus, stems from the way that she and Dermot Burke taught.  It was very moving to attend her memorial service last week at the Mark Morris studios and hear Mark and his company dancers speak so movingly of her on-going work with them.  They showed a video excerpt of her choreography (danced by the Princeton Ballet, as we were then called), and it so embodied her spirit.  Mark spoke of how she engaged with each student "fully and honestly," and how her teaching continued to influence his.  I'm proud to say that it has definitely influenced ours at ARB's Princeton Ballet School, and that we carry her memory in our institutional memory, as well as our hearts.
 
-- Mary Pat Robertson, March 2010