Darcey Bussell

Desert Island Discs: Archive 2005-2010

BBC

Society & Culture, Personal Journals

4.4 • 804 Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2006

⏱️ 37 minutes

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Summary

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the ballerina Darcey Bussell OBE. At the age of twenty, she became the Royal Ballet's youngest Principal and went on to dance on the international stage in Paris, New York, St Petersburg and Milan. She was spotted by the great choreographer Sir Kenneth Macmillan at the age of 16, and though tall for a ballerina, she had an energy that he found refreshing. In 1989 she made her debut in Covent Garden as Princess Rose in The Prince of the Pagodas, a role created for her. Her classical repertory has included principal roles in Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker.

Her first child was born prematurely as a result of the life-threatening condition pre-eclampsia. Her speedy recovery she put down to her strength and fitness, and she returned to dance three months later. She has announced her decision to retire as a Principal of the Royal Ballet next month, though she will continue to dance as a guest artist.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, it's Nicola Cochlin. Young people have been making history for years, but we don't often hear about them. My brand new series on BBC Sounds sets out to put this right. In history's youngest heroes, I'll be revealing the fascinating stories of 12 young people who've played a major role in history and who've helped shape our world. Like Audrey Hepburn, Nelson Mandela, Louis Braille and Lady Jane Grey, history's youngest heroes with me, Nicola Cochlin.
0:27.8	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:30.3	Hello, I'm Krista Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive.
0:35.4	For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.
0:38.4	The program was originally broadcast in 2006,
0:41.8	and the presenter was Sue Lawley.
0:43.7	Music My castaway this week is a ballerina.
1:02.4	At the age of 19, she was plucked from the Corde of Ballet at Sandler's Wells
1:06.3	and went on to dance the principal role in a new full-length work at the Royal Ballet called Prince of the Pagodas.
1:12.8	The first performance was rapturously received by the audience,
1:16.1	and when the curtain fell, she was invited to become principal ballerina of the company.
1:20.4	Are you sure, is all she could say?
1:22.9	They were sure, and rightly so.
1:25.0	Since that night 17 years ago, she's danced to mighty applause through most of ballet's classical roles and many of its newly created ones, too, on both the national and international stage.
1:36.1	Recently, she announced she was going to bring her full-time career to a close this summer. Perhaps it's the discipline on which she thrived as a dancer that's helped her make such a
1:45.4	tough decision. I was determined, she says, that my career would not just fizzle out. She is the
1:51.4	principal ballerina of the Royal Ballet, Darcy Bustle. You made that announcement back in October,
1:57.2	Darcy. Have you had any second thought since? My husband has. Well, he'd like you to keep going.
2:02.3	Yeah. No, he says, you know, you can change your mind. You don't just because you've made an announcement.
2:06.6	But actually, it's taken me long enough, you know, to make it. And I know the decision is right.
2:12.0	Why do you know it's right? I think just because of trying to cope with the pressures and I have two gorgeous children and I feel like sometimes, you know, I love my work and I love every bit about it, but I can't always do both.
2:29.8	They're two and five your children, your daughters, aren't you? Yeah, my youngest is two.
	...

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