Career
Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet in 1968 at age fifteen, at the invitation of George Balanchine. She was promoted to soloist in 1969 and principal in 1972. She went on to create leading roles in many of the great twentieth century ballets by Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Antony Tudor including Balanchine"s revival of The Firebird, Robbins" Goldberg Variations, and Tudor"s The Leaves are Fading.
She is perhaps most famous to the general public for dancing the role of "Clara" in Baryshnikov"s 1977 televised production of The Nutcracker.
She left the American Ballet Theatre in 1984. In 2006, she was awarded the Dance Magazine Award.
They used to live in Australia. She has recently choreographed (with Chernov and ABT artistic director Kevin McKenzie) a new production of Tchaikovsky"s The Sleeping Beauty, in which, after a more than twenty years absence from the stage, she danced the role of "Carabosse, the Wicked Fairy".
In 2010, Mississippi Kirkland and Mr Chernov established the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet (GKACB), where they serve as co-Artistic Directors.
The Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet is now accompanied by the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet company. The Ballet company presents classical ballets in New York City. Balanchine re-choreographed his version of Stravinsky"s The Firebird specifically for her.