Darcey Bussell retires from ballet

It's not controversial to say she's Britain's greatest ballerina since Margot Fonteyn - indeed, the only dancer in decades whose appeal has reached beyond ballet to become a household name.

This week, Darcey Bussell retires from ballet, in a way she always intended, still "at the top of her game."

She'll give her last performance on Friday at the Royal Opera House.

Darcey Bussell biography

Darcey Bussell experienced a meteoric rise to ballet stardom. While still a student at the Royal Ballet School she was 'spotted' by the late Kenneth MacMillan. And thanks to his casting of her in several leading roles, by the age of 20 she was a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet.

Bussell has played the lead in several MacMillan performances, many classical performances and has also created several leading roles including Twyla Tharp's Royal Ballet debut, Mr Worldly Wise.

She has danced with the New York City Ballet and guested internationally with several other companies, including the Kirov at St Petersburg.

Over the years she has been adored by the media and proved something of a national treasure; several of her performances have been televised and she has been the subject of several documentaries including the South Bank Show and Omnibus. She has also appeared on French and Saunders, The Vicar of Dibley, The House and Clive Anderson's Programme.

She's also featured in TV commercials for American Express and Lloyds TSB, modelled for M&S, Mulberry and Harvey Nicols (amongst numerous others) and has been photographed by celebrated photographers - from Mario Testino to Lord Snowdon and graced the face of many magazines including GQ, Tatler and Harpers and Queen.

In 1995 She became an OBE and in 2006 a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). She is married with two daughters.

Darcey Bussell's Farewell - Live will be shown on BBC 2 at 9pm on Friday 8th June. Channel 4 are also showing Three Minute Wonder - Farewell, Darcey Bussell from Monday 4th June to Thursday 7th June at 7.55pm.

For more on Darcey's dancing career click here.

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