I was a protege; by the age of 10, I was studying with ballet choreographer Anthony Tudor in a class of adults.

Every dancer lives on the threshold of chucking it.

Concert dance is the hardest kind of dance. We tour constantly, around the world, year in and year out. It just doesn't work for everybody. It's the lifestyle, it's the stamina, it's the love, it's the dedication, it's the commitment, it's all those words.

I felt the naivete of a child in my dancing. I cherished that feeling. I had what I call a knowledgeable naivete, and it worked for me.

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.

I haven't had a family, but I don't think of that as a sacrifice: my dancers are my family.

We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom badly, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to wallow in that or are you going to create your own agenda?