 In 1966 she joined the then prominent but small Joffrey Ballet as a principal until 1975, becoming a soloist with American Ballet Theatre (ABT) until her retirement from dance in 1982.She can be seen on television and on DVD as The Doll in Mikhail Baryshnikov's production of "The Nutcracker", which was first telecast in 1977.After her retirement she married fellow dancer George de la Peña (who also appears in the Baryshnikov "Nutcracker") and turned to teaching and choreographing before becoming director of the Washington School of Ballet in 2004.