I was very much of a tomboy.

I think especially in a world where you have so little say about what goes on in your life, or in the politics of the world around you, it is wonderful to go into that studio, and tell yourself what to do.

I'm thought of as a cool, unemotional dancer, but inside I'm not.

I think it was important that I learned to love to dance eventually for its own sake, as opposed to wanting to be a ballerina.

And I just thought, this is what I want to be. And I knew that dancing would be my chosen profession.

Even though I am a professional, and I know what the steps are, I don't quite know how I'm going to do them, because I haven't lived that moment yet. I always feel very insecure and I get very excited.

I set as my goal to be the best dancer I could be. Not the most famous, or the highest paid dancer, just the best I could be. Out of this discipline came great freedom and calm.