Celebrated Dance alumna Gillian Murphy returns to UNCSA to inspire next generation of dancers
The School of Dance at UNCSA welcomed internationally acclaimed ballerina Gillian Murphy back to campus for a conversation with Dean Endalyn T. Outlaw in Freedman Theatre on Saturday. Murphy recently retired as principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, one of the greatest dance companies in the world, after 29 years.
Reflecting on highlights from her career, Murphy described many “pinch me moments” from her first performances with American Ballet Theatre to her farewell show. “From the first moment, I just felt incredibly honored to be doing what I’m doing,” she said. “The feeling of gratitude was extremely overwhelming throughout my career, but particularly for my last show. I’m still sort of reeling from it.”
View the discussion here.
Gillian Murphy Masterclass with UNCSA School of Dance students / Photo: Tony Spielberg
Dean Outlaw praised Murphy’s impact on the art form and her generosity in sharing her journey with students. “It is always a welcome opportunity to have prominent industry leaders on campus to interact with our students. They bring a direct perspective to the past and current culture of the field and serve as living, breathing testimonies to the ability to influence through the arts,” Outlaw said.
In addition to leading a series of master classes for Dance students, Murphy shared her perspective on the foundation she built while training at UNCSA.
“My training here at UNCSA was similar to what your training is now,” Murphy said. “Ballet class, pointe, variations and regular contemporary classes all really set me up to have the career that I had and to dig into the different styles at American Ballet Theatre.”
Building on that, she grounded the idea in day-to-day studio habits. “When I’m in the studio, I’m all there, I’m very, very present. Even as a student, I would really pay attention to what the other dancers were doing … and also really listening to the teachers. … I think trusting my intuition as well has been a really critical key to my success … and really listening to my body has been critical,” she said.
Spring Dance tutu for Gillian Murphy 1995 / Photo: Jen Scheib
She described the artistic collaborations she formed at UNCSA as a lasting influence on her career. “The friendships I made at UNCSA have been lifelong and incredible. And also, such a huge network of not only dancers but lighting designers, costume designers, musicians, actors,” she said. “Just the network of being part of this school and … how meaningful that is to each and every one of us, and how that continues throughout one’s career is really awesome.”
Throughout the discussion, Murphy encouraged students to approach their training with both discipline and imagination. “As I’ve been teaching over the years, I feel even from a young age it really doesn’t hurt to put them together,” she said. “Especially when doing port de bras (movement of the arms), ask yourself, ‘Could you possibly be saying something? How does this connect to the music?’ Discover those connections as you go with each step.”
Murphy concluded the visit by reminding students of the joy and meaning dance can bring. “Dance is a universal language, something that can shed light on a world that can sometimes feel chaotic,” she said. “Try to enjoy it, savor the moment. It’s really an opportunity to get to dance.”
American Ballet Theatre and UNCSA
American Ballet Theatre and UNCSA share a longstanding history, including a partnership that was recently expanded to provide students with opportunities that will prepare them for professional careers. ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe served as dean of the School of Dance from 2012 to 2020. Alumni who have gone on to ABT include Principal Dancers Gillian Murphy, Patrick Bissell, Victor Barbee and Keith Roberts; Soloists Maria Riccetto, Blaine Hoven and Christine Spizzo, who also taught at UNCSA; and corps de ballet members David Loring, Julio Bragado-Young, John Michael Schert, Joseph Phillips, Kelley Potter, Isaac Stappas, and current Company members Sierra Armstrong and Andrew Robare. Current ballet faculty members Jennet Zerbe and Laura Martin are former ABT members, and ABT Lighting Director Brad Fields is a Design and Production alumnus.
About Gillian Murphy
Gillian Murphy was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre from 2002 until her retirement in July 2025. She took her final bow in the role of Odette/Odile in “Swan Lake” at the Metropolitan Opera House. Raised in Florence, South Carolina, she was a member of Columbia City Ballet before attending high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she trained under Melissa Hayden.
Murphy joined American Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet in 1996, was promoted to soloist in 1999 and to principal dancer in 2002. Her repertoire included leading roles in “Swan Lake,” “Giselle,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Sleeping Beauty,” “La Bayadere,” “Coppelia,” “Don Quixote” and “Sylvia,” along with featured roles in works by choreographers including Alexei Ratmansky, Twyla Tharp, Antony Tudor and Jerome Robbins. She also appeared internationally as a guest artist with the Mariinsky Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Staatsballett Berlin, the Kiev Ballet, the Australian Ballet and the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Her honors include the Prix de Lausanne Espoir, the Princess Grace Statue Award and an honorary doctorate from UNCSA. She has been featured in filmed performances of “Swan Lake” for PBS and “Giselle” for the New Zealand Film Commission, and in the American Masters documentary “American Ballet Theatre: A History.” She has taught widely at American Ballet Theatre, the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Dance Theatre of Harlem and other institutions and currently serves as Artistic Associate at American Repertory Ballet.
Get the best news, performance and alumni stories from UNCSA.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)(OPENS IN NEW TAB)
September 24, 2025