11 Facts About Joseph Duell

Joseph Duell was an American dancer and choreographer for the New York City Ballet.

The day after his performance in George Balanchine's Symphony in C, for which he was praised for the elegance of his classical style, Duell jumped from the window of his apartment building on West 77th Street and died in an apparent suicide.

Joseph Duell was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of a Baptist minister.

Joseph Duell's upbringing was described as strict, but he and his older brother Daniel were encouraged to follow artistic and expressive pursuits.

Joseph Duell learned to play drums and piano while Daniel played flute.

In 1975, Joseph Duell followed his brother Daniel in joining the New York City Ballet corps.

However, four months after he dropped out, Joseph Duell returned to the company more driven than ever.

In 1980, Joseph Duell was promoted to soloist, and in 1982 as a choreographer he made his debut with the company, La Creation Du Monde, which was well received by the critics.

Mr Joseph Duell did not merely want to perform the fifth position in ballet; he wanted to know why the fifth position was central to classical technique.

Joseph Duell was terribly overstrung in the last couple of weeks, and he began to talk about being depressed, but he wasn't the type to burden people with his problems.

That night, according to fellow dancer Toni Bentley, Joseph Duell immersed himself in work.