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Ballerinas like Sylvie Guillem, Diana Vishneva and Natalia Osipova have also pursued independent paths but turned mainly to contemporary work. Was commissioning \u201cLa Strada\u201d about finding a vehicle for yourself that was firmly balletic?<\/strong><\/p>\n I truly believe in classical ballet, and that was part of it. Dancers today are phenomenal, even better than when I began, and apart from myself, I wanted to create opportunities. The experience of being a freelance dancer during the pandemic, and not being protected by a company, made me realize I would like to do something for other freelancers.<\/p>\n Also, I felt when we came out of the pandemic, ballet companies were very cautious about what they could do; there was a lot of new contemporary work around, but not new story ballets so much. As the director of a company, you are restricted in your choices. If you do your own thing, there is a little more space for choice, it\u2019s easier to construct a creative environment that is more exploratory.<\/p>\n Did you leave English National Ballet because you felt constricted within a company?<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s just say life showed me another door at that point. That year, 2020, was a big change in my life. I was pregnant with my second daughter, Ella, and I had to deal with other people\u2019s decisions and choose another path. I knew I would continue to dance, although I didn\u2019t know it would take so long to get back after a second baby, or that there would be a pandemic.<\/p>\n When you have these transitions in life, you think, What do I want? What do I like? And the biggest question: What can I give to this art form? I have danced in many companies. I have seen what works, what doesn\u2019t, the director\u2019s point of view, the dancers\u2019 points of view. I felt I could use what I had learned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n