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Gelsey Kirkland - Part 3

© Indrani Rauth

Offstage, her personal life was very complex. For one thing, she became addicted to cocaine. Concerned about her looks, Kirkland underwent plastic surgery and tried starvation diets, eventually becoming anorexic. Her pain and self-abuse came as a result of the pressures she was under from the dance world, society, and the media. Yet, while suffering from these, she was still able to perform beautifully.

Through the years of these abuses, Kirkland eventually could no longer handle it. Her career declined after 1976. She finally began the long process of recovery. But, at the same time, she was forced to stop dancing, which was her true love. Part of her recovery was spurred by meeting and falling in love with Greg Lawrence. The couple helped each other out of the drugs and negativity they had fallen into.

After her recovery, she appeared with ABT on and off and made guest appearances such as at the Royal Ballet in London, in "Romeo and Juliet", in 1986.

To be a dancer, one has to be committed and put in the physical effort and mental discipline. To be a true artist, requires a bit more - mastering the technique internally. One must understand every aspect of the movement, the rhythm, the musical phrasing, the psychological motivation, and the shape. Gelsey Kirkland mastered these elements and applied them fully in her dancing. In her own words, she says, "[her] steps continue after [her] body has been stilled - the dance goes on forever. So shall [she]. So shall we."