Suzanne Daone
Dance Division, Administrative Assistant

Like many Juilliard staff members, Suzanne Daone has a "performing past." She grew up in Denver and headed out to California after high school to join the San Francisco Ballet. She came to New York in 1959 to join the Joffrey Ballet. Her office skills were honed at several organizations and companies before a telephone call from former dance faculty member Maria Grandy brought her to Juilliard.

Suzanne Daone and her son Edward.

How long have you worked at Juilliard, and what do you remember about your first day?
I have worked in the Dance Division for 12-and-a-half years. My first day on the job was July 9, 1990. It was summer, and the School was quiet as a tomb. I was glad my computer was the same one I had learned to operate on my previous job—but much to my chagrin, it had more advanced software than I was familiar with. Fortunately I had time to familiarize myself with it over the summer. Needless to say, when September came, it was like the storm after the calm!

What's the strangest job you've ever had, and what made it strange?
My very first job was working for a dental research clinic in San Francisco. I mounted colored slides picturing case histories of the most horrendous conditions of the teeth and gums. I had to wear a white lab coat and nurse shoes. The job was part-time and I could choose my hours, as long as I put in four hours a day—which gave me the freedom to attend dance classes and rehearsals. The people I worked with were extremely nice and supportive of my dance career. And those Red Cross nurses shoes were the most comfortable I've ever had!

When did you start dancing, and why did you stop?
I began ballet and modern dance training at age 8 and embarked on my professional career at 18, performing with the San Francisco Ballet. Soon thereafter I was invited to come to New York and join the Joffrey Ballet. In my 13-year career, I also danced with the Harkness Ballet. I retired from the stage soon after I married, to devote my attention to being a wife and mother.

What kind of performances do you prefer to attend and why?
Naturally, I enjoy dance of all kinds; I also like plays. I most enjoyed dancing dramatic roles, and I admire wonderful acting on stage, film, or TV. I also like to watch figure-skating because it is artistic as well as athletic—like dance but with the extra dimension that gliding on the ice gives to the movement.

What other pursuits are you passionate about?
I am in the final throes of renovating my apartment and anxious to get to the more creative aspect of redecorating. I am interested in interior design and decorating, and also enjoy taking tours of the elegant interiors of landmark buildings that were once homes of the rich and famous, back in the early days of New York. I have a fascination for period films, books, and plays, as well.

What was the best vacation you've had?
I have never gone on a vacation per se, where I've traveled for pleasure to some place I wanted to see. But I traveled extensively during my career, touring with the ballet companies I was with. I went to places I might never have gone to otherwise in Europe, India, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Russia, as well as across the United States. Believe it or not, I've never been to England. I hope to go sometime as a real vacation.

What is your proudest accomplishment in life?
My son, Edward. He was just 10 years old when I found myself widowed and a single parent. Having brought him up and put him through college on my own, and knowing him to be the fine young man and devoted son he is today, makes me feel very blessed and proud.

What might people be surprised to know about you?
Our new Dance Division director, Lawrence Rhodes, and his wife, Lone Isaksen (as well as Helgi Tomasson, who received an honorary degree from Juilliard last May, and his wife, Marlene Rizzo) were all former colleagues of mine, when we were dancers with the Joffrey Ballet and the Harkness Ballet more than 30 years ago. I was known then as Suzanne Hammons. Small world, isn't it? (Certainly the dance world!) Those with whom I shared that time in my life are like family, and nothing gives me greater joy than when we are reunited—as my job here at Juilliard has made possible in so many instances.

Next Month: Mary Gray, Associate Dean for Admissions.