Bussell, << BUHS uhl >> , Darcey (1969-…), a British ballerina, emerged in the late 1980’s and 1990’s as one of the most talented dancers of her generation. Her range of expression extends from her exhibitionist performance in the ballet In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (1992) by the American choreographer (dance designer) William Forsythe to her thoughtful interpretation of the central role in the British choreographer Kenneth MacMillan’s staging of the classic ballet Manon (1992).
Bussell joined the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet (now the Birmingham Royal Ballet) in London in 1987 and a year later she was selected as a soloist by the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden. She was ideally suited to the more athletic requirements of American ballet productions, such as Agon (1957) by the choreographer George Balanchine, which she danced in 1991. Bussell became principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in 1989. She retired from full-time performance in 2006 but remained with the company as principal guest dancer until 2007, when she gave her final performance in Song of the Earth (Kenneth MacMillan, 1965).
Bussell’s range and artistry attracted the attention of some of the leading choreographers of the day. Among the roles specially created for her are the principal dancer in Spirit of Fugue (David Bintley, 1988), Princess Rose in The Prince of the Pagodas (MacMillan, 1989), the principal dancer in Bloodlines (Ashley Page, 1990), and Masha in Winter Dreams (MacMillan, 1991). She also appeared with distinction in modern productions of great classic ballets, including The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Swan Lake. Other ballets in which she danced include Raymonda, Romeo and Juliet, and MacMillan’s 1990 Royal Ballet production, Elite Syncopations, which used the music of the American ragtime composer Scott Joplin. Bussell won several awards during her career as a ballerina, including the Prix de Lausanne (1986) and the Laurence Olivier Award (1992).
Darcey Andrea Bussell was born on April 27, 1969, in London. She was educated at the Arts Educational School in Tring, Hertfordshire, and at the Royal Ballet Schools.
