McBride, Patricia (1942– )

US ballet dancer. A favourite with audiences, she combined technical perfection with an exciting performance style. She joined New York City Ballet in 1959 and two years later became the youngest principal dancer in the company's history. Partnered with Edward Villela, she performed such high-speed works as Harlequinade (1965). McBride was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. She studied ballet as a child and at the School of American Ballet.