Grace Under Pressure. | Beyond Bravura.

"Nevertheless there has been an awakening, a deepening in her artistry that has caught up with her astonishing technique. As more emotionally charged roles come her way, Murphy has surprised many and drawn rave reviews for her acting in ABT's most somber and sinister ballets. As Hagar, the repressed middle sister in Tudor's dour drama Pillar of Fire, Murphy is riveting. Her body and facial expressions are taut until her pent up passion erupts with the Stranger Next Door. Murphy's ax-wielding Lizzie Borden (the Accused) in de Mille's Fall River Legend skulks and rages, negotiating the emotional curves down to the essence. Her intensity shocked everyone--even herself."

Big doings on the family front: Not only did Gill recently receive a Princess Grace Statue Award for lifetime achievement in dance (that's the ceremony above -- and she did her own speechwriting also), but she is featured (again) as the cover story of this month's Dance Magazine. (The cover is at right, but the official magazine site seems to scrimp on the quality jpgs -- for the time being, check a newsstand near you.) "No one appreciates Murphy's questioning mind more than [Kevin] McKenzie, who also coaches her. 'Gillian is a very coordinated and intelligent person,' he says. 'If something doesn't feel natural to her, she has the ability to approach problems from both angles--physical and cerebral.'"