Nancy Raffa
{{short description|American ballet master (born c. 1964)}}
Nancy Raffa (born c. 1964) is an American ballet master.
Early years
Raffa was born in Brooklyn, New York City.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
She began training in ballet under the instruction of Gabriella Taub‐Darvash.{{Cite news |last=Kisselgoff |first=Anna |date=1979-10-22 |title=Dance: Kozlovs With the Maryland Ballet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/22/archives/dance-kozlovs-with-the-maryland-ballet.html?searchResultPosition=30 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} She started dancing at the age of seven.{{Cite news |last=Winer |first=Linda |date=1980-11-23 |title=Overworked, underpaid ballet dancers ask whether it's worth it |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lexington-herald-overworked-underpa/162690589/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The Lexington Herald |pages=80}} Raffa was one of the young dancers highlighted in a 1979 article in the New York Times.{{Cite news |last=Kisselgoff |first=Anna |last2= |first2= |date=1981-07-28 |title=Wolf Trap: a Concentration of Teen-age Ballerinas |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/28/arts/wolf-trap-a-concentration-of-teen-age-ballerinas.html?searchResultPosition=31 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Dancing
At 16 years old, Raffa became the youngest, and first American female to win the Gold Medal at Prix de Lausanne in 1980.{{cite news |title=Brooklyn Dancer Wins Prize |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/02/11/archives/brooklyn-dancer-wins-prize.html |access-date=January 11, 2025 |work=The New York Times |date=February 11, 1980}} That year, she joined Natalia Makarova and Company on Broadway.
In 1981 Raffa joined the American Ballet Theatre, where she became a member of the corps de ballet.{{Cite news |last=Temin |first=Christine |date=5 November 1981 |title=The Making of a Ballet Star; At 17, Nancy Raffa Learns that Success Brings Mixed Blessings |work=Boston Globe (pre-1997 Fulltext) |location= Boston, Mass. |page=1 |id={{ProQuest| }}}}
Raffa danced many roles, including dancing in Tharp's Push Comes to Shove with Baryshnikov. She later joined as principal dancer with Ballet de Santiago, Ballet National Francaise, then Miami City Ballet.{{cite web |url=http://www.abt.org/education/bios_faculty/raffa_nancy_edubio.asp |title=Faculy Bios: Nancy Raffa |publisher=ABT |date= |accessdate=2014-02-10 |archive-date=2014-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201144011/http://www.abt.org/education/bios_faculty/raffa_nancy_edubio.asp |url-status=dead }}
In 1981, Raffa performed at Jacob's Pillow, a dance center in Massachusetts.{{Cite news |last=Dunning |first=Jennifer |date=1981-08-08 |title=Dance: Jacob's Youths S|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/08/arts/dance-jacob-s-youths.html?searchResultPosition=32 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Steinbrink |first=Mark |date=1981-08-02 |title=Dancers Who Have Scored Abroad |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/02/arts/dancers-who-have-scored-abroad.html?searchResultPosition=47 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
In 1985 she danced in a performance led by Twyla Tharp.{{Cite news |last=Dunning |first=Jennifer |date=1985-05-20 |title=Ballet: 'Black Partita' at Met |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/20/arts/ballet-back-partita-at-met.html?searchResultPosition=17 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} In 1987 she danced the role of Swanilda in Coppelia, and the New York Times described her performance as having a 'memorably luminous quality'.{{Cite news |last=Dunning |first=Jennifer |date=1987-06-04 |title=Dance: Gabriela Darvash's 'Coppelita' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/04/arts/dance-gabriela-darvash-s-coppelia.html?searchResultPosition=16 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Teaching and coaching
After a serious injury, she retired from dancing and entered the field of teaching and coaching. In 1994, she joined the staff of the Miami City Ballet School. Raffa was twice awarded a special teacher's recognition from the National Foundation for he Advancement in the Arts. She was also awarded a grant from the United States Information Services to be a cultural ambassador for a company and school in Honduras. In addition, Raffa graduated magna cum laude in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from St. Thomas University.
Raffa became head director of the American Ballet Theatre's National Summer Intensive program. In 2007, she was promoted to ballet mistress with the main company. She also worked with the American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.{{Cite news |last=Weinstein |first=Tresca |date=April–May 2007 |title=Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School |work=Pointe ; New York |pages=54–55|id={{ProQuest| }}|volume=8 |issue=2}} She has also worked closely with resident choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. She has aided him in his choreographic process for every ballet he has ever done with ABT. She sets many of his ABT works with companies around the globe.{{cite web|url=http://tulsa-ballet.blogspot.com/2011/02/interview-with-nancy-raffa.html |title=Behind the Bun: An Interview with Nancy Raffa |publisher=Tulsa-ballet.blogspot.com |date=2011-02-24 |accessdate=2014-02-10}}
Awards and honors
In 1980 Raffa received a gold medal{{Cite news |last=Kisselgoff |first=Anna |date=1990-02-11 |title=Dance View: In This Contest Winning Is Only The Beginning |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/11/arts/dance-view-in-this-contest-winning-is-only-the-beginning.html?searchResultPosition=25 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} in the International Ballet Competition.{{Cite news |date=1980-06-15 |title=Concert to introduce dance directors |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-star-concert-to-introduce-d/162690475/ |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The Standard-Star |pages=38}} She was the first American to receive a gold medal at the competition.{{Cite news |last=Dunning |first=Jennifer |date=1985-01-20 |title=This Dance Competition Does More Than Give Prizes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/20/arts/this-dance-competition-does-more-than-give-prizes.html?searchResultPosition=39 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}