Darcey Bussell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darcey Bussell CBE (born London; April 27, 1969) is an English ballerina.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
After studying at the Arts Educational School, Bussell began ballet seriously only at the age of 13 when she moved to White Lodge in the Royal Ballet School. After graduating in 1985, she stayed at the school for two further years, appearing in minor productions at Covent Garden, before joining Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet in 1987.
Whilst still at school, the choreographer Kenneth MacMillan had noticed her talent, and in 1988 he gave her the leading role in his ballet The Prince of the Pagodas to Benjamin Britten's music, causing her to move to The Royal Ballet. A year later, in December 1989, on the opening night of the show, she was promoted to Principal, at the time the youngest ballerina to be given this honour.
Her many roles include Masha in Winter Dreams and Princess Rose in The Prince of the Pagodas, both choreographed by MacMillan, as well as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Nikiya and Gamzatti in La Bayadère, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Manon in Manon, and the title role in Giselle.
She guest starred in the popular BBC1 Comedy The Vicar of Dibley as herself.
She has announced that she will retire as a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet in 2006 because of injuries to her body and physical stress. She will stay with the company as "guest principal artist".
[edit] Awards
In 1990 she received the Evening Standard Ballet Award, the 'Sir James Garreras Award for Most Promising Newcomer' from the Variety Club and 'Dancer of the Year' from Dance & Dancers magazine. Bussell was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1995, and was raised to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on 17 June 2006[1].
[edit] Personal life
Bussell has been married since 1997 to Angus Forbes, an Australian banker. They have two daughters, Phoebe, born 2001, and Zoe, born 2004.
