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I saw Jaffe dance Giselle last May at the Met during a great visit to NYC! She was lovely. Ethan Stiefel was her Albrecht. I would love to see her last performance, but alas, I'm sure that's a subscriber special not to mention I'm across the country! She has been at ABT for, what, 22 years? Is that right? The first thing I ever saw Jaffe dance in was the PBS broadcast of Twyla Tharp's Push Comes to Shove where she dances with Baryshnikov. (My mom taped the broadcast a long time ago and we still watch it.) Wow, was she saucy and full of life in that role! It really stuck with me.

After such a long and wonderful dancing career, I hope she has a great and restful retirement. I also hope that the audience in NYC on her final performance gives her the tribute she deserves! smile.gif

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Thanks, Susan (I hope that's right smile.gif ) I'm surprised this hasn't drawn more posts -- ED WAFFLE, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?

I think it is 22 years. I saw her debut with ABT in Pas d'esclave (from Bayadere). I've never been a great admirer of Jaffe. IMO that whole generation of women -- Jaffe, McKerrow and Kent (all trained in the Washington area, by the way, as was Cheryl Yeager) -- never quite bloomed.

The best performances of Jaffe's, for me, were two with Patrick Bissell: Juliet and Kitri in "Don Q" They weren't the definitive portrayals of either character, but there she was dancing with someone big enough for her (and he was a wonderful partner) and they clicked. Her characterization in both was a bit superficial; she was very young and did both roles as though she were a homecoming queen. But she was very alive in the dancing. She was always technically strong.

Are there Jaffe fans out there who will miss her?

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I remember a wonderful Juliet that Susan Jaffee danced with Bissell also but I don't know if that's the one Alexandra saw. It was the first time that I ever saw MacMillan's R&J and it has always stayed with me. The Don Q. I remember was one done with Kevin McKenzie. Susan was nailed to the floor in those pirouettes - just wonderful-and Kevin's very high leaps covered more than half the width of the stage - just one of the many great nights we have spent watching ABT and Susan. I don't know how my husband will cope with this. He's just now beginning to recover from Cynthia Harvey's retirement! We certainly will miss Susan and wish her all the best in whatever 'retirement' might bring her.

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