Katherine Healy

Katherine Healy (born January 26, 1969) is an American former principal ballerina who also had a professional performing career in figure skating.

Born in New York City, Healy never competed at an elite level in figure skating; instead, she turned professional at the age of eleven. In 1975, aged six, she appeared in the televised SuperSkates exhibition at Madison Square Garden. A few years later, she was the subject of the book A Very Young Skater, published in 1979. She was a protegee of John Curry and skated professionally with his company.

Healy's true career goal, however, was not to be a figure skater, but to become a professional ballet dancer. She was trained in George Balanchine's School of American Ballet, and performed the character of Marie (more often known as Clara) in the New York City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker in 1978 and 1979.

In 1982, Healy had a major role in the film Six Weeks, with Mary Tyler Moore and Dudley Moore, portraying a young ballet dancer with terminal leukemia. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this role in the category "Best New Star – Actress".

Shortly afterwards, Healy concentrated exclusively on ballet. After having won the silver medal in the junior division at the 1982 USA International Ballet Competition, the following year she won the same event in Varna, Bulgaria, becoming the youngest ever to be awarded the gold medal. In 1984, at the age of 15, she joined the London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet) as a senior principal dancer, and performed with that company for two seasons. During her time in England, she performed roles such as Swanilda in Coppélia, and the principal roles in Etudes, The Nutcracker, Balanchine's Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and the Don Quixote Pas de Deux. At the age of sixteen, Sir Frederick Ashton chose and personally coached her for the role of Juliet in the revival of his production of Romeo and Juliet. She performed Juliet in the premiere of this production in London in July, 1985, at a royal gala attended by HRH Princess Margaret.

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