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

I want people to have their own visions for the dance. Some generations will sit back and relate to the music. And the young people ...they'll have the dance right in front of them.

Once you've danced, you always dance. You can't deny the gifts that God sends your way

I've danced all over the world, and people are people. We cannot cut off from each other in life. In order to lead, you can't do that.

I can't really hear the audience applause when I'm on stage. I'm totally immersed in the piece. But sometimes I get a lot of it and wonder, "Now, why did they applaud here?" If it's a white crowd, they usually applaud because they think it's a pretty movement. If it's a black crowd, it's usually because they identify with the message.

Dance is not endangered - it will always find a way to express itself.

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