After decades of dancing on the world’s most prestigious stages, Gillian Murphy’s career has been a journey of passion, discipline, and artistry. Now, as her career comes to an end, the ballet world pauses to celebrate a dancer whose dedication and determination led to one of the most well-known legacies in the performing arts world.

Murphy has portrayed numerous roles during her career, with some of her most celebrated being Odette/Odile* from Swan Lake, Giselle and Myrtha† from Giselle, the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker, and Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. Murphy has also danced for prestigious companies around the world, including the infamous Russian company, “Mariinsky Ballet”‡. Additionally, Murphy portrayed herself in the movie “Center Stage” with costars including Donna Murphy, Zoe Saldaña, Amanda Schull, and Susan May Pratt.

Born April 11th, 1979, 46-year-old Gillian Murphy has been dancing since she was three years old. Upon starting ballet, Murphy danced at a local school in Belgium before moving to South Carolina, where she built upon her studies. She continued training at Columbia City Ballet, and, at the age of 14, moved once more to start advanced training at the North Carolina School of Arts. Following her graduation from high school, she started her career at the American Ballet Theatre§ (ABT) in 1996 at age 17. At ABT, she started off dancing in the corps de ballet¶, but with constant and rigorous training, Murphy was able to move up to the role of Soloist** in 1998 and later to the role of Principal†† in 2002. It typically takes over a decade to become a Principal dancer, but Murphy achieved such a feat in just six years.

On top of being highly talented and accomplished, Gillian Murphy has contributed to her community tremendously. Murphy has fundraised for cancer research, taught aspiring ballerinas, and created a scholarship at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts to provide funding for promising ballet students. Beyond her successes and contributions, Murphy is married to Ethan Stiefel, former dancer and choreographer, and has one son, Ax Nathaniel Stiefel. Following retirement, Murphy claimed, “I am going to lean into coaching and staging, especially my husband’s choreography, and take time to process the transition before deciding my next steps”‡‡.

Concluding more than four decades of dancing, Gillian Murphy has accomplished monumental goals and has given to her community countless times. From dancing the most challenging roles to creating scholarships, Murphy’s career and name will continue to be celebrated and remembered. She has been, and will continue to be, an inspiration for numerous people. Although her career has come to an end, her legacy has just begun.

* The white and black swan from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake

† The queen of female ghosts called “Wilis”

‡ A prestigious ballet institution located in St. Petersburg, Russia

§ A prestigious ballet company located in New York City, NY

¶ The members of lowest rank in a professional ballet company

** The members of rank between corps de ballet and Principal in a professional ballet company

†† The members of highest rank in a professional ballet company

‡‡ Noveck, Jocelyn. “What does one do on their last day as a ballerina? Gillian Murphy jumped off a cliff (gracefully).” The Atlanta Journal Constitution, 21 July 2025, www.ajc.com/news/2025/07/ what-does-one-do-on-their-last-day-as-a-ballerina-Gillian-Murphy-jumped-off-a-cliff-gracefully/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2025.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/arts/dance/gillian-murphy-retiring-american-ballet-theater.html