Hayden, Melissa (1923–)

Canadian-born ballerina. Born Mildred Herman, April 25, 1923, in Toronto, Canada; dau. of Jacob and Kate Herman; attended Lansdowne Street elementary school; studied ballet with Boris Volkoff, Anatole Vilzak and Ludmila Schollar; m. Donald Hugh Coleman Jr., Feb 1954; children: Stuart.

Became a member of Radio City Music Hall corps de ballet (1945), then joined Ballet Theatre (later American Ballet Theatre) corps de ballet and rose swiftly to rank of soloist; made triumphant debut with Balanchine's New York City Ballet in The Duel (1950); went on to perform in numerous ballets, including The Miraculous Mandarin (1951), The Pied Piper (1951), Caracole (1952), and The Cage (1952); aside from a brief return to American Ballet Theatre, and various guest appearances with Chicago Opera Ballet, spent career at New York City Ballet; appeared in Chaplin's film Limelight (1952), doubling for Claire Bloom in the dance sequence; also appeared on "Kate Smith Show," one of the earliest performances of classical ballet on tv (1952); made acclaimed appearances in Ivesiana (1955), Still Point (1956), and in premiere of Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15 (1956); also danced in Agon (1957), Stars and Stripes (1958), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1962), and In the Night (1970) and frequently guest starred with other ballet companies, including National Ballet of Canada, Royal Ballet of London and Cullberg Ballet of Stockholm; retired (1973). Received Albert Einstein Award (1962).

See also Melissa Hayden—Off Stage and On (1963); and Women in World History.