Darcey Bussell is a retired English ballerina, born on April 27, 1969, in London, England. She is widely considered one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation and is known for her technical precision, grace, and expressive performances.
Bussell began studying ballet at a young age and trained at the Royal Ballet School in London. She joined the Royal Ballet Company in 1988 and quickly rose to become one of its principal dancers.
Throughout her career, Bussell received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 1991, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2006 for her services to ballet.
Bussell retired from the Royal Ballet in 2007. Bussell is also pursuing parallel careers in television, books and modelling, and supports numerous British and international charities and dance institutions.
What age did Darcey Bussell retire?
Darcey Bussell retired from ballet in 2007, at the age of 38. She had been a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet in London for nearly two decades, and her retirement marked the end of a highly successful career in the world of ballet.
Why did Darcey Bussell retire from ballet?
For a variety of reasons, Bussell ended her ballet career. Her desire to spend more time with her family was one of the primary motivators. She wanted to be able to concentrate on parenting her two small girls because she had them at the time.
In addition, Bussell had experienced a number of ailments throughout the course of her career, including a back problem that required her to stop dancing in 2002. She decided it was time to end her career in ballet while she was still healthy and able to do so without risking additional harm.
Bussell continued to work in the arts after leaving the ballet and explored other passions including writing and television.