“Coincidence has ordained that this month brings the formal farewell performances of four international ballerinas… The emotion generated by such farewells goes deep. A ballerina represents beauty; is an exalted ideal; exerts authority over the world onstage and her audience; holds the key to the meaning of each ballet. That’s quite a list of virtues. And yet it doesn’t fully explain why the departure of a beloved ballerina affects her audience with a pang beyond the one felt at the departure of one of her male counterparts.”