I like my body. I don't want to have to change it for anything - even if that means I have to take a step down as a dancer. I don't think I'm ever going to sacrifice my figure for anyone else to accept me.
I've danced since I was 5 and went to the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center at 7.
I was bullied a lot as a kid.
Women should be happy with their bodies. Not being afraid of yourself is very empowering.
I have a lot of relatives that were dancers and musicians and artists. They basically came out of the womb doing it.
Instead of watching cartoons when I was little, I had Russian ballet videos from, like, the 1950s and 1940s.
I went to school in New York and grew up in and out of New York. I love it, and I miss it, and every time I go back, I think, 'Why am I in Germany?' I do know that my career is really important to me, and in Germany, they've always been so much more supportive than my previous engagements in the dance world.
I had some struggles to find my footing. I couldn't really find a place to appreciate me - I'm a little bit curvy for the dance world.
I would have to change my entire life if I went into acting. I dance eight hours a day, and then suddenly to be sitting on a set for 12 hours a day is a big difference for my health.
The amount of effort and energy that goes into being an actor is something that I can't compare to anything else.
I love playing a role, anything that's dramatic. I'm enjoying living that kind of life: being someone else, getting to die, being a temptress. I enjoy being someone else on stage.
I've been with Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Germany, for five years - I wanted to escape the competitive dance world and go somewhere where I felt appreciated for my talents. Stateside, it was always kind of a struggle. And the competition? Not into it.
