Suzanne Farrell one of the most noted ballerinas of the 20th century, and the founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.

She was born Roberta Sue Ficker in Cincinnati, and received her early training at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. In 1959, she was selected to study at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet with a Ford Foundation scholarship; she started there in 1960, and joined the New York City Ballet in 1961.