Suzanne was arguably Balanchine`s "best" muse, or the woman who came closest to his ideal ballerina. The 41 year gap between them meant nothing, and they had an almost telephatic connection that ran deeper than ordinary relationships. He created beautiful ballets for her, and she was on par with her willingless to do anything he asked her to do. Their shared work was a highlight for the productive New York City Ballet.
However, when they met in 1960, Balanchine was still married to Tanaquil Le Clerq, who was polio stricken in Copenhagen in 1956 and confined to a wheelchair ever since, and Suzanne was Catholic who refused to have any sexual relations with him. He wanted to marry her, she did not want to marry him for various reasons.
Pushed by Balanchine to accept his offer, Suzanne was under a lot of strain, which damaged both her personal and private life. A strong, no nonsense woman with immense compassion, she choose the fighter`s way ended it all by marrying Paul Meija, a fellow dancer, in 1969. It was a huge blow for Balanchine, one that took two years to fully heal. They worked later, in 1975, but only on a strickly professional basis. Balanchine never married again