Early Life and Early Career
Born in Madison Wisconsin, Armitage grew up dividing her time in two places: Lawrence, Kansas and Gothic, Colorado. This was the site of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory where her father, a biologist, did research. Armitage began studying ballet in Lawrence, Kansas at the age of four with former New York City Ballet Dancer, Tomi Wortham, followed by classes in Crested Butte, Colorado with Shirley Strabhaur. She then continued her studies with Ballet West in Aspen and Salt Lake City, at the School of American Ballet the Harkness House in New York City, at North Carolina School of the Arts, and with Massine in London. Armitage began her professional career in 1973 as a member of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève in Switzerland. This was a company directed by George Balanchine and Patricia Neary which was rooted in the Balanchine aesthetic and devoted exclusively to his repertory. There she performed many Balanchine masterworks including Agon, The Four Temperaments and Serenade. From 1976–1981 she was a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company where she danced in leading roles across the globe.
Read more about this topic: Karole Armitage
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