Joining the Royal Ballet at the late age of 13, Darcey Bussell (OBE) (CBE) went on to become one of the world's most famous and prestigious Prima Ballerinas also known as one of the UK’s national treasures.  Darcey made her debut performance as a principle in ‘The Prince Of The Pagodas’ in 1989 at the time the youngest ballerina to be given this honor and didn’t look back until her retirement in 2007. In 2008 Darcey teamed up with Katherine Jenkins and enjoyed two sell out tours with their show ‘Viva La Diva’.

 

In August 2012 Darcey Bussell performed in front of over one billion people, when she extinguished the flame at London’s 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony. Her extensive broadcast work includes being a judge on the 'Strictly Come Dancing', documentaries including Darcey Dances Hollywood, her ‘Looking for’ series on BBC1 and presenting The Royal Ballet's worldwide cinema live simulcasts. 

 

Darcey created the Magic Ballerina series of children’s books and has produced two photographic books of her career. More recently she founded a dance fitness program called Diverse Dance Mix (DDMIX). She is particularly passionate about school children doing dance fitness as part of PE.   

 

Dame Darcey Bussell is patron of 15 charities including being the President of the Royal Academy of Dance, the Campaign President of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the International Patron of the Sydney Dance Company,  Matthew Bourne’s charity Re:Bourne and London Children’s Ballet.