I've always felt that complement of opposites: body and soul, solitude and companionship, and in the dance studio, contraction and release, rise and fall.

Maybe its a generational thing, but I never wanted to be the best black dancer in the world. I just wanted to be the best.

I believe in spirit and then I believe a manifestation of spirit is dance

I'm moved by contraries, by opposites, the strength that was my mother's eyes, the beauty of my father's hands.

I believe that this world was set about for us to enjoy and to love and to experience and to have it all be, to a certain extent, unpredictable. Ever since I was a child I have believed that my life has been guided.

I've been in a competitive situation almost all my life. I've been having a competition with myself and trying to be the best I could be.

So many people dwell on negativity and I've survived by ignoring it: it dims your light and it's harder each time to turn the power up again.