I don't have a past. I have a continuous present. The past is part of the present, just as the future is. We exist in time.

In my ballets, woman is first. Men are consorts. God made men to sing the praises of women. They are not equal to men: They are better.

The woman's function is to fascinate men.

I don't have a past. I have a continuous present. The past is part of the present, just as the future is. We exist in time.

My muse must come to me on union time.

The pointes for girls, I always say, have to be like an elephant's trunk; strong and yet flexible and soft.

If you don't feel challenged, it's because you're not doing enough. Ballet should never feel comfortable. Comfortable is lazy! If you're comfortable when you dance, you're not pushing yourself hard enough. 100 % is not enough. You have to give 200%. One tendu takes years of hard work and will never be perfect. Everything in ballet is a challenge.