I Danced With Passion To

The First Year With Abt I Learned 13 New Roles. Most Were Lengthy Ballets, More Complicated Than I Was Used To. I Have Suffered From Tendinitis Since I Was 13, And It Flared Up Again Until The Pain Was Paralyzing. There Were Times I Prayed I'd Be Sick So I Wouldn't Have To Go On.

I Know My Body. What Happened Is That I Got So Caught Up In The Applause I Forgot How I Should Dance. All My Life I've Been What Others Wanted - In Dancing And In Life. Now I'm Doing It My Way.

... Each Action Taken In This World Has Its Echo In The Heart.

I Embarked On A Risky Course Of Plastic Surgery And Silicone Injections, Major Dental Realignments And Gruesome Medical Procedures. I Pray That Young Dancers, Those Who Imitate Me At Their Peril, Will Avoid This Blind Alley. It Is More Than A Dead End; It Is A Dead Beginning.

At This Stage Of My Life I Would Rather Try And Have Some Small Impact Within A Company And Suffer Through Those Things Than Make Such A Big Stink That Nobody Can Trust To Work With You. It's Very Important In An Environment Of A Big Institution That People Don't Feel Threatened That You're Going To Expose Them In Any Way.