Directing is very close to choreography; you deal with space, time, emotions, lighting, making beautiful images.
Swan Lake is the most difficult thing to portray for a female ballet dancer; it really requires such specific qualities of articulation, agility, strength, and the arm work is something that takes a lot of training.
The idea that ballet is a white art is absurd and shocking, and it’s gone on for too long. Nothing would make me happier than having a company that reflects society, to have dancers onstage that people can relate to.
Most dancers have no awareness of how they look; half of them think theyre fat. There is anorexia in the ballet world; there are those things.
Nowadays I actually cook Italian-style food more than French heavy sauces. I make a good salad, some great roasted vegetables, grilled fish. Im crazy about L.A. because at the farmers market you find all kinds of wild mushrooms.
When I see the attention movie stars get, it doesn't make me want to be in that position at all.
In France, ballet is on TV ... It's on the eight-o'clock news. It's a cool thing to be a dancer.
