Born in Ft. Worth, Texas, Ms. Barfield began her training in Ft. Worth with Gayle Corkery, and then continued in Dallas at the Etgen Atkinson School. At 14 she began studying during the summers at the School of American Ballet in New York City, and at the age of 16 moved to New York to study at the School exclusively. Ms. Barfield joined Pennsylvania Ballet in 1984, was promoted to Soloist in 1987 and to Principal in 1990. Her repertoire includes a wide variety of classical roles including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Myrtha in Giselle, Vera in Robert Weiss’ full-length Winter Dreams, Les Sylphides, the title role in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella and Juliet in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet. She has also performed principal roles in Peter Martins’ Fearful Symmetries, and in Petipa’s Paquita and Don Quixote. Ms. Barfield has performed leading roles in numerous Balanchine ballets such as The Nutcracker, in which she performs Dewdrop and the Sugarplum Fairy, Who Cares?, Allegro Brilliante, Agon, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Four Temperaments, Serenade, Western Symphony, Divertimento No. 15, Donizetti Variations, Concerto Barocco, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Odette in Swan Lake, Act II. 

Additionally, Ms. Barfield has originated roles in Christopher d’ Amboise’s The Golden Mean and Franklin Court, and danced in such diverse pieces as Merce Cunningham’s Arcade, Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s Great Galloping Gottschalk, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Menage a Quatre and William Forsythe’s Love Songs. In September, 1992, Ms. Barfield was one of six dancers from Pennsylvania Ballet to appear at the Second International Arts Festival in Tianjin, China, as a representative of The City of Philadelphia. Her favorite role is as mother to her beautiful son, Skylar Barfield Blanchard, born to her and husband John (a former modern dancer) on November 3, 1999. 

On June 12^th 2004 she retired, (and was thrilled it was with one of her favorite roles Odette/ Odile) in Christopher Whealdon’s Swan Lake. Clive Barnes wrote, ”The best of the three main cast…a beautifully professional Dede Barfield.” Since leaving the Pennsylvania Ballet, Ms. Barfield has been busy teaching at Bryn Mawr College, at The Performance Garage at Jeanne Ruddy Dance, with the Pennsylvania Ballet’s Outreach Program, and at the South Jersey Ballet School.  In addition to these regular teaching positions, Ms. Barfield has been guest teacher for the Chamberlain Ballet in Plano TX, the Country Day School in Ft. Worth TX, the Brandywine Ballet, and the Dance Theater of Pennsylvania.  Ms. Barfield also taught ballet at the University of Las Vegas during the 2007 Spring semester.

Ms. Barfield has studied Pilates since 1979 and completed a 2-year advanced teacher training seminar with her mentor of 20 years, Karen Carlson, and is certified in all apparatuses and mat.   Ms. Barfield  is currently a staff teacher for the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas Pre-Professional Company of dancers.