Melissa Hayden (born Mildred Herman, April 25, 1923, Toronto; died August 9, 2006, Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was a well-known ballerina who spent most of her career with the New York City Ballet. April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Twin City Location Location in North Carolina Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States North Carolina Forsyth County Founded Incorporated 1889 1913 Mayor Allen Joines (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 283. ... Maya Plisetskaya, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet from 1943 to 1960 and prima ballerina assoluta from 1960 to 1990. ... Logo of the New York City Ballet The New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein originally known as the American Ballet. ...

Hayden grew up in Toronto. In the early 1940s, she moved to New York City to join the ballet corps at Radio City Music Hall. From 1945-47, she was a member of the American Ballet Theater; she joined the New York City Ballet shortly after its founding in 1948. She performed there many times with noted dancer Jacques d'Amboise. Flag Seal Nickname: Big Apple Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,214. ... A Ballet company is group of dancers who perform ballets. ... Radio City Music Hall at Xmas 2005 Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... The American Ballet Theatre is one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century, and a leading company in America. ... Jacques dAmboise (born July 28, 1934) is a well-known U.S. ballet dancer and choreographer. ...

Hayden appeared frequently on television, especially The Kate Smith Show. In 1952 she performed as the dance double for Claire Bloom in the film Limelight. Kate Smith on the cover of a posthumous 1991 collection 16 Most Requested Songs Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was a Washington, D.C.-born singer best known for her rendition of Irving Berlins God Bless America. She greeted audiences with Hello, everybody! and signed... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A body double is a general term for someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character in any recorded visual medium, whether videotape or film. ... Claire Bloom (born Patricia Claire Blume on February 15, 1931) is a British actress. ... Limelight is a 1952 film written, directed by and starring Charles Chaplin, co-starring Claire Bloom, with a guest appearance by Buster Keaton. ...

After appearing in over 60 ballets, mainly works by George Balanchine, Hayden retired as a dancer in 1973. Balanchine honored her on her retirement by creating the ballet "Cortege Hongrois", which is still part of the New York City Ballet's repertoire. At the premiere of the piece, Mayor John Lindsay presented Hayden with the city's Handel Medallion, praising her as an "extraordinary ballerina who has filled the hearts of her audience with joy." George Balanchine (January 9 (O.S.) = January 22 (N.S.), 1904–April 30, 1983) was one of the 20th centurys foremost choreographers, and one of the founders of American ballet. ... For a list of the Dutch Director-Generals who governed New Amsterdam (as New York City was called when it was a Dutch-run settlement) between 1624 and 1664, see: Director-General of New Netherland. ... John Vliet Lindsay (November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician who served as a Congressman (1959-1965) and mayor of New York City (1966-1973). ...

After her retirement, she became head of the ballet department at Skidmore College, and taught ballet at the School of Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, and in New York City, where she opened her own school. From 1983 until just a month before her death, she taught at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. Skidmore College is a private, four-year college located in Saratoga Springs, New York. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Emerald City Location Location of Seattle in King County and Washington Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Washington King County Incorporated December 2, 1869 Mayor Greg Nickels Geographical characteristics Area     City 369. ... An arts conservatory of international renown, the North Carolina School of the Arts was the first state-supported, residential school of its kind in the nation. ...

Hayden was also an author of several books, including The Nutcracker Ballet illustrated by Stephen Johnson; Melissa Hayden, off stage and on; Dancer to Dancer: Advice for Today's Dancer and Ballet exercises for figure,: Grace & beauty.

Hayden married Donald Coleman and had two children. She died at her home in Winston-Salem of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer (also called cancer of the pancreas) is represented by the growth of a malignant tumour within the small pancreas organ. ...

Sources

• Kisselgoff, Anna, "Melissa Hayden, a Vibrant Star of New York City Ballet, Dies at 83", New York Times, 2006-08-10. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.