 
                
                        Darcey Bussell: My Life on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
From Blue Peter in the 80s to jiving on Strictly Come Dancing, a celebration and a history of the ballet dancer who grew up in public and conquered television on the way.
Darcey Bussell, for twenty years Britain's premier dancer with the Royal Ballet, was documented at regular intervals throughout her ballet career by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ cameras and also appeared on many of the corporation's biggest entertainment shows. Darcey tells her own story through a carefully woven choice of archive from her debut appearance on Blue Peter as a 16-year-old in the early 80s to jiving on Strictly Come Dancing following her retirement from the Royal Ballet in 2007.
Packed with historic archive performances from the stage of the Royal Opera House and beyond, combined with candid documentary interviews from behind the dressing room door filmed at intervals during her stellar career, this is a celebration and a history of the ballet dancer who grew up in public and conquered television on the way.
Last on
Clip
- 
                                            ![]()  Darcey BussellDuration: 01:33 
Music Played
- 
    ![]()  Jules MassenetManon Music Arranger: Leighton Lucas. Orchestra: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra.
- 
    ![]()  Léo DelibesSylvia - Act 1 Conductor: Graham Bond. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Ludwig MinkusLa Bayadere Music Arranger: John Lanchbery. Performer: Paul Stobart.
- 
    ![]()  Benjamin BrittenThe Prince of the Pagodas - Act 1 Conductor: Ashley Lawrence. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Benjamin BrittenThe Prince of the Pagodas Conductor: Ashley Lawrence. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyWinter Dreams Music Arranger: Philip Gammon. Music Arranger: Thomas de Hartmann. Performer: Philip Gammon.
- 
    ![]()  Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyTchaikovsky Pas de Deux Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Gioachino RossiniSoirées Musicales - Cazonetta Composer: Benjamin Britten. Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra.
- 
    ![]()  Franz LisztMayerling Music Arranger: John Lanchbery. Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskySleeping Beauty Conductor: Bernard Haitink. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Georges BizetSymphony in C Conductor: Paul Murphy. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
- 
    ![]()  Ludwig MinkusLa Bayadere Music Arranger: John Lanchbery. Orchestra: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra.
- 
    ![]()  Brian EasdaleThe Red Shoes Conductor: Brian Easdale. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
- 
    ![]()  Sergey ProkofievCinderella Orchestra: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra.
- 
    ![]()  Alexander GlazunovBirthday Offering Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Georges BizetSeguidilla Librettist: Henri Meilhac. Librettist: Ludovic Halévy. Performer: Lesley Garrett. Orchestra: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Concert Orchestra.
- 
    ![]()  Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskySleeping Beauty Conductor: Anthony Twiner. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Sir James MacMillanTryst Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Joseph Swenson.
- 
    ![]()  Léo DelibesSylvia - Act 1 Conductor: Graham Bond. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Léo DelibesSylvia - Act 2 Conductor: Graham Bond. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Léo DelibesSylvia - Act 3 Conductor: Graham Bond. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskySleeping Beauty Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.
- 
    ![]()  Jules MassenetManon Music Arranger: Leighton Lucas. Conductor: Richard Bonynge. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Gustav MahlerSong of the Earth Performer: Catherine Wyn-Rogers. Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
- 
    ![]()  Steve MacViva Tonight Performer: Katherine Jenkins. Composer: Wayne Hector.
- 
    ![]()  Jay LivingstonStuff Like that There Composer: Ray Evans. Performer: Hayley Sanderson. Conductor: Dave Arch. Performer: Tommy Blaize. Performer: Lance Ellington. Performer: Andrea Grant.
- 
    ![]()  Léo DelibesSylvia Conductor: Philip Cornfield.
Credits
| Role | Contributor | 
|---|---|
| Performer | Darcey Bussell | 
| Producer | Andy King-Dabbs | 
| Executive Producer | Mark Cooper | 
Broadcasts
- Fri 23 Dec 2016 20:00
- Christmas Eve 2016 01:45
- Tue 27 Dec 2016 01:00
- Tue 2 Jan 2024 00:20
- Mon 8 Jan 2024 02:00
Featured in...
![]()  - The Joy of Dance- Performances and documentaries exploring dance, and the artform's finest practitioners. 
![]()  - Documentaries at Christmas- Entertaining, entrancing and endearing documentaries from the festive season. 
 
             
             
