Jillana

Jillana, born Jill Zimmerman in 1934 in Hackensack, New Jersey, is an American ballet dancer and instructor who served as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. As a child she studied both tap and ballet, and at age eleven she earned a scholarship to the School of American Ballet, where she trained under George Balanchine. One year after enrolling, she was recruited by Ballet Society, the organization that would become the New York City Ballet, and made her first appearance with the company at age thirteen. By January 1952, when she was seventeen, she was featured in Seventeen magazine.

Following six years with the New York City Ballet, Jillana was elevated to principal dancer, a position she held for twenty years. During that period Balanchine created roles for her in multiple ballets, among them Liebeslieder Walzer. Her stage partners included Jacques d'Amboise, Arthur Mitchell, and Edward Villella. Beyond the New York City Ballet, she performed with American Ballet Theatre and the National Ballet of Washington, D.C.

In 1959 Jillana brought her talents to Broadway, appearing in the musical Destry Rides Again. She also worked in television, with credits that include Noah and the Flood, which featured choreography by Balanchine.

Her teaching career has spanned numerous institutions, including the New York City Ballet, the School of American Ballet, the Joffrey School, the Paris Opera Ballet, Ballet West, and the University of California at Irvine. She additionally served as director of DanceAspen. Jillana operates her own summer program, The Jillana School, and stages ballets on companies around the world on behalf of the George Balanchine Trust.