Darcey Bussell

“I know some people aspire to a ballerina's body, but I looked forward to feeling more feminine.”

“Being a ballerina can be a very unnatural life, especially after you've had children.”

“When I started, there was a very strong image of what the ballerina was supposed to be in her tights and her costume, and then I started doing photo shoots in bomber boots, and it wasn't see...”

“Fonteyn was our first proper British ballerina, and from the moment I started dancing, her image engulfed me. In my first year at the Royal Ballet School, Margot's statue was outside my dorm...”

“As a little girl, I didn't dream of being a ballet dancer; I dreamt of being a movie star like Ginger Rogers and dancing with Fred Astaire. I used to watch the Sunday double-bills on TV and...”

“Ballet requires movements which are very unnatural. With every step, you do a circular movement of the hip. You turn out from the hip and make your knees point out to the side instead of for...”

“I dye my hair, and I use teeth whitening strips. Unless I burnt myself or damaged my skin, I wouldn't have cosmetic surgery.”

“I need to have dark chocolate in the cupboard - Green & Black's is good, but any will do.”

“When I coach dancers, I always like to get on the dance floor with them or describe something by showing them.”

“I do feel blessed to have small ears - I've never felt self-conscious when my hair is swept back. My feet are a different story - I grew up being painfully aware of them because they are so...”

“For me, in my life, dyslexia has been a little bit of a blessing. It helped me find my strength and directed me towards what I really wanted to do.”

“Now I'm on television, I'm far more conscious of my skin than I used to be - I would often leave the theatre with layers of pancake make-up still on my face, but on a medium such as TV, I ha...”

“I'm a grazer by nature - fruit, nuts - but I try to discipline myself and sit down for regular meals when the girls are around, as I want to instil good habits in them.”

“Before a show, I usually give myself two-and-a-half hours to get ready. I prepare my shoes first. New ballet pumps can sound like tap shoes. You have to take the noise out of them by hitting...”

“The Royal Academy of Dance is an institution that trains to a very high standard.”

“Ever since I've given up dancing, every physiotherapist or Pilates teacher has said you have to keep moving. If I don't, I'll have a hundred times more injuries because you get weak areas on...”

“The jogging machine makes me go insane with boredom.”

“When I started on 'Strictly,' I was terrified. Live television seemed like the most daunting thing in the world.”

“My 'new' knee now feels like a bionic knee compared with my old one.”

“When I was at the Royal Ballet School, I remember receiving my first eyeshadow palette from Marks & Spencer as a gift. It sparked my interest in beauty, which peaked when I became more invol...”