American ballerina Gillian Murphy ends her career on a very high note

In every career, there are plenty of consequential decisions to be made. And they tend to get more consequential as time goes on. So it was when Gillian Murphy, one of the most admired American ballerinas for nearly three decades, began contemplating not only when, but how to retire from American Ballet Theatre. She knew she wanted to go out on a high note. Murphy, at 46, is in incredible shape; at a recent rehearsal, she was leaping and twirling like colleagues in their 20s. But in what role should she take her final bow, after 29 years at ABT? Should it be as Juliet? As Giselle? The first of these ends up stabbing herself to death. The other goes mad.

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The best (and most athletic) option, it turned out, was to jump off a cliff. That's what Odette, the swan queen, does at the end of ABT's version of “Swan Lake” — followed in this dramatic leap by the prince who loves her, to be joyfully reunited in the afterlife. (In real life they leap onto a mattress offstage, dust themselves off and clamber back for the finale.) Murphy, who's known for her Odette/Odile— especially those fouettés, Odile’s fiendishly hard whiplash turns — retired with “Swan Lake" on Friday night, ending her career in a blur of bouquets, tears and golden confetti.

The sold-out Metropolitan Opera House crowd was vocal in their appreciation, cheering her entrances and exits and giving her a standing ovation when she finished her Black Swan variation. Once the ballet finished, the stage filled with Murphy's fellow dancers, teachers and other ABT colleagues bearing flowers. As golden confetti poured from the rafters, Murphy hugged fellow dancers like Misty Copeland, who herself will retire from ABT with fanfare in October. She was also greeted by her husband, former ABT principal dancer Ethan Stiefel, and their 6-year-old son, Ax, who'd just watched him mom perform at the opera house for the first time. Murphy lifted Ax off his feet and twirled him around joyfully.

Murphy spoke to The Associated Press in the rushed moments between rehearsals, classes and delayed commuter trains in the days leading up to the big occasion.

You were only 17 when you joined ABT. Now you're 46. Did you imagine such a long career?