Gretchen Patchell, originally from Pennsylvania, received her early training at the  Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. At age fourteen, she was invited to attend the winter program at the School of American Ballet on full scholarship. She was very fortunate as to have been trained by world renowned teachers, many of whom are no longer with us. Ms. Patchell is honored to be a past recipient of the Mae L.Wien award. Gretchen has performed a vast assortment of ballets with the New York City Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet, and the former Fort Worth Dallas Ballet. Some of her principal roles include Firebird, Theme and Variations, and The Four Temperaments, to name a few. While continuing to dance, Ms. Patchell accepted an invitation from Paul Mejia to teach at the Fort Worth School of Ballet in 1996. Gretchen continues to enrich the lives of many dancers, both through her instruction and choreography.