I danced with passion to spite the music.

Fortunately for children, the uncertainties of the present always give way to the enchanted possibilities of the future.

There was a stage when Balanchine and I didn't talk. I was trying to develop my classical technique as opposed to the fast-track technique that he was pushing. We were very quiet with each other. But after two years he saw what I was doing and sent messages through other people that, yes, this is good.

The dance goes on forever. So shall I. So shall we.

I embarked on a risky course of plastic surgery and silicone injections, major dental realignments and gruesome medical procedures. I pray that young dancers, those who imitate me at their peril, will avoid this blind alley. It is more than a dead end; it is a dead beginning.

You've got to break through this idea of being light as a ballerina. The heavier you'll feel, the lighter you'll look.

Ballet is a riddle of means and ends.