FAST FACTS:

Farrell was one of the youngest ballerinas to dance for the New York City ballet. She was discovered in 1959 by Diana Adams, who was scouting the country for prospective talent on behalf of the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet.

After an audition for George Balanchine, Farrell --- at the age of 15 --- was offered a Ford Foundation scholarship. She relocated with her mother and sister to a one-room apartment on New York's upper Broadway.

Her first role with the New York City Ballet was as an angel in the 1960 production of the Nutcracker.

Farrell's 1965 performance as Dulcinea in Balanchine's Don Quixote defined her as a star. That year she was promoted to principal dancer.

She retired from the stage in 1989.