Quotes from Sergei Polunin

You don't lose anything, in fact you gain a lot by having free-thinking people.

A few months ago, I was sure that I was going to stop dancing to become a good actor. But then when I was by myself for a week, I asked myself, What are you doing? You have that talent. Use it to the fullest.

I never wanted to be a good example.

Plant or animal, black or white, gay or straight, man or woman, I always see things deeper than just a surface. I always look deep inside the person and you will see a beautiful person in every human being.

I couldn't come back to gymnastics because the floors were too dusty for my health.

I want to make people happy. I love kids and I want to help kids. And tigers.

I got the same recognition in Russia in one week that I got in London after five years.

There's no agents or managers to represent them. Dancers don't have any voice. They have nothing. Nobody can afford a flat to live in. They have to share to be able to survive. In a place like the Royal Ballet, that shouldn't happen.

If you ask about regrets, I normally don't regret. I enjoy everything, even if it's bad or good.

The contemporary programs in London are harder and much more damaging for the body. With classical ballet you are relaxed mentally because it's what you learnt, but I want to push myself.

In my head I want to do dancing as a hobby. I don't want it to be my job. I want to do it as a joy, not having to do not-very-good galas just to make my living.

I started watching movies more carefully, watching actors - the way they act, the way the movie is filmed, just as a hobby in a way, but also something to progress to maybe in the future.

Being a ballet dancer isn't cool. Football, boxing, hockey... they're cool. And you make more money.

In the beginning, I was very passionate about it, I loved it. It wasn't until I actually reached the top that I became despondent. I felt like I was betrayed, betrayed by my family, my school. I felt very angry about the whole thing. You spend 12 hours a day, dancing, and then what?

As a dancer, you dance and you shut up. You don't open your mouth. I started using the media as psychiatrists, I guess, they were someone to talk to.

I always hoped I would be injured so I didn't have to dance any more.

I actually always have good intentions.

I'd always been one of the best in my gymnastics school, so I transferred to trying to be the best dancer, without knowing anything about ballet. I learned it as a routine.

You live the life of a dancer. It is not your job, it is your life, and you have to love it so much to be able to take it every day for six days a week, sometimes seven.

I sort of played with the bad-boy thing, and I gave a couple of interviews where I said stupid things.

You know, it was only by traveling that I started to mature and to make my own choices, learn how to deal with people and understand how the industry works.

The Royal Ballet was good to me. They gave me everything I asked for. It's just... I felt tricked. I became a principal and I couldn't even afford to pay for dinner. I couldn't afford a flat.

The problem was I didn't have a mentor. Nobody ever sat me down and said, 'That's how life is. You're going to have trouble here or there.'

I realized it's important to have love in your life, it's important to have friendship, it's very important to have mentors and family.