Deborah Bull

Dancing is a tough career, but I'm glad I spent it at the Royal Ballet. ”

As you get older, the physical abilities decrease, which is particularly frustrating because your brain gets so good! So as you are becoming less technically or physically able, younger dancers are emerging who need the space to perform. ”

I always recommend a sensible diet, including lots of carbohydrates and avoiding too much fat. Dancers don't need different fuel from other people - they just need more of it because they use more energy. ”

A good dancer is an educated one, so don't abandon school. ”

People often argue about this. Obviously one of the skills in performance is acting, and you can't expect every Romeo to really be in love with their Juliet! ”

I think it's useful to experience other types of dance and other cultures, and the life of a classical dancer these days is certainly not all tutus! So experience of other dance forms is a good idea. ”

You increase muscle bulk by training against resistance. For example, weights. And in ballet, this isn't the case. ”

It's not about weight, it's about fitness, and one component of being fit is to have relatively low body fat, because fat is not very efficient, whereas muscle is. ”

I have lots of interests, but it's true that dancing is a very full-time job. ”

But you do have to start young as a dancer if you're going to achieve the physical skills necessary. ”