Stephanie Saland

Stephanie Saland (born

When she was fourteen, Saland learned that handwritten report cards would instead be computerized the following year. "In my mind," she later recalled, "it incited a fear of autonomy, of disappearing into the crowd, something highly disturbing and inhuman." In search of an escape, she decided to pursue a career in dance, which might "make it a little bit different."

Though Saland was accepted by the school, she was initially placed with eleven-year-olds as she was four years behind students her age. Three months later, she was moved up, and later to a class taught by Suki Schorer, where she was spotted by George Balanchine, choreographer and co-founder of the New York City Ballet. Her other teachers at the school include Stanley Williams and Muriel Stuart.

Though her promotion to principal dancer came after Balanchine's death, Other ballets by Balanchine Saland had danced include Serenade, "Emerald" from Jewels, Vienna Waltzes, Liebeslieder Walzer, Episodes, La Sonnambula, Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze, Square Dance, Divertimento No. 15, as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Swanilda in Coppélia and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.

She developed a close working relationship with Jerome Robbins. She had also performed his other works, including Dances at a Gathering, In the Night, The Concert, Fancy Free, Opus 19/The Dreamer, and The Goldberg Variations.

In 1993, Saland retired from the New York City Ballet. Her final performance was in Balanchine's Vienna Waltzes, though the fact that it was her farewell was unannounced. That performance was also filmed for the PBS broadcast "The Balanchine Celebration." She later noted she decided to retire due to "physical challenges and injuries."