Dame Darcey Andrea Bussell, (born Marnie Mercedes Darcey Pemberton Crittle; is a retired English ballerina and a former judge on the BBC television dance contest Strictly Come Dancing.
Bussell at a curtain call after a performance of Theme and Variations, 2007
Darcey Bussell, Carlos Acosta and Gary Avis curtain call for Song of the Earth, 8 June 2007
Darcey Bussell, Chelsea, London December 2012
A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancers are at a high risk of injury due to the demanding technique of ballet.
Pierina Legnani (left) as Medora and Olga Preobrajenska (right) as Gulnare in the scene Le jardin animé from Marius Petipa's final revival of Le Corsaire, St. Petersburg, 1899. Legnani was named première danseuse assoluta of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, and would later be named prima ballerina assoluta of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. Preobrajenska became prima ballerina of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres and went on to become one of the most influential teachers in the history of classical ballet.
Three ballet dancers performing a grand jeté jump
Ángel Corella as Aminta in Frederick Ashton's version of the ballet Sylvia, 2005
Many ballet dancers end up with injured feet due to the size of the shoes or the use of their feet in choreography