Interview with Deborah Bull, Former Ballerina and ROH Creative Director

Guest Blog post by Vera Litvin

Image courtesy of the Royal Opera House

Deborah Bull was going to be a ballet dancer “since before she could remember”. Note “was going to be” rather than “wanted” – a reflection of her focus, ambition and determination.

She started out with the Royal Ballet 30 years ago and worked her way up to become principal ballerina. In 2001 she retired from dancing and took an executive position at the Royal Opera House, culminating with her current role as Creative Director. In addition to this, she is a successful writer and broadcaster, with several popular BBC television and radio series under her belt. She is at the LJCC today to promote her fourth book “The Everyday Dancer.”  When I mention this stellar career to her she modestly admits that it’s been “busy.”

For Deborah, dance at its best is “a way of telling stories, exploring emotions, states of mind and relationships between people.” She argues that it is relevant to everyone because these are issues we deal with in our own lives all the time. Deborah Bull grows particularly animated when she describes how dance is central to, well, being human:”It is how we praised our Gods, tried to tame the elements, seduced one another, mourned people, marked the transition from childhood to adulthood. Dance had been central to so many cultures for so long…” When Deborah talks about dance, you can certainly see that passion and the eloquence for which she is famous.   

A vicar’s daughter, Deborah Bull has a strong work ethic. Her favourite word is “rigour”, while her least favourite is “chillax”. She insists that dance is not a “punishing” profession, just “hard work”. “There is a difference” she stresses, explaining that hard work is needed to get the dancer’s body to the necessary level of fitness. Once this level is reached, however, dancing does not mean constant pain, as I had previously supposed. The upside is “a sense of achievement, of using yourself totally and of being able to follow through a childhood dream.”

Her time at the ROH, which is coming to a close soon, has been all about “New art, new artists and new audiences”. She has fought hard to create a “low risk” space in which new choreographers can try out their work. Deborah Bull insists that ballet should never be “safe” and should always be pushing new boundaries. Asked where she sees ballet moving in the future, she answers that people want to be more involved in the performance: “The notion of the sit-on-your-hands spectator is really changing” she says.

Hearing Deborah Bull speak, you are certainly excited to see what will be happening in the world of dance and the arts next. She sees much more “blurring of the boundaries between art forms” in the future.  Her new position as Cultural Partners Director at King’s College London, starting in March 2012, will see her working across all art forms. There is no doubt that her focus and determination will be channeled into creating new “ways of telling stories”. I for one can’t wait to see what this dynamo will do next…

Don’t miss fantastic authors like Deborah Bull at the next Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival: Sunday 9th - Tuesday 11th September.