After 16 seasons, Company Dancer, Jillian Barrell, made her final curtain call with Ballet Arizona at the end of the 2023-2024 season.
Jillian began her training at Delaware Dance Company and later studied with Sherry Hiott, continuing her education during the summers at several prestigious schools, including Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Orlando Ballet School. She was a finalist in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 Kennedy Center Ballet Class Series and a soloist in the 2006 Youth America Grand Prix finals in New York City.
Since joining Ballet Arizona in 2007, Jillian has originated the title role in Ib Andersen’s Cinderella and performed numerous principal roles in Romeo & Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle. She has danced featured roles in George Balanchine’s La Sonnambula, The Four Temperaments, La Valse, Apollo, Divertimento No. 15, and Rubies from Jewels, as well as in Ib Andersen’s original works Play, Mosiak, and the premiere of Diversions at the Kennedy Center.
Jillian has been an audience favorite and was recognized by The New York Times for her “youthful sparkle”. Ballet Arizona is grateful for her artistry and dedication, which have left a lasting impression on the Arizona stage and her fellow dancers.
How does it feel to retire after 16 seasons?
I feel all the things! There is a little disbelief – dancing was my life for such a long time and retiring was a decision that came about very recently. I feel accomplished and proud of myself. Mostly, I am so grateful for the career that I had and now for the opportunity I have to spend more time with my daughters.
Are there any roles or moments on stage that have had the most impact on you?
Every role and experience you have on stage shapes you as a dancer. I have truly enjoyed almost every role, but I think the “firsts” always stand out.
Ib’s Romeo & Juliet is one of my absolute favorite ballets. It feels so good to dance and Ib is an incredible coach. Nayon Iovino and I danced it together when we first met and we fell in love while we were rehearsing, it was a really special time! We performed it again just after we got engaged and then for a third time after our first daughter was born. That one is very special for me.
I’ve performed an extensive amount of Balanchine ballets and I’ve loved every single one! I could dance Slaughter on 10th Avenue and Symphony in Three Movements all day, every day. Rubies is another special one because it was the first ballet Nayon and I danced together when he joined the company in 2012!
What do you envision for life after Ballet Arizona?
I have not had much time to envision what life will look like… I want to still be involved in the ballet world and I would love to have the opportunity to pass along some of the knowledge that I have gained throughout my career.
For right now, I am just soaking up the extra time with my girls before they get older and feel like this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. Nayon and I are also working to expand our real estate portfolio and build a small business. The future feels exciting and full of possibility!
