A biography for Sylvie Guillemhasn’t been written yet.
“Walking in the mountains helps me unwind, but it also reminds me in a painful way that the real beauty in life is nature and animals, and that the human race, in all its arrogance, is intent on destroying it.”
“It would be nice to wake up and be able to walk to the bathroom. But even when I was 20 and at the Paris Opera, I had to crawl down the stairs; it is only when I start to work and stretch that my body begins to recover again.”
“A performance is like a boat. You really want it to arrive at port. So when something goes wrong and it doesn't get there, that touches me a lot.”
“I was afraid when I came to the Royal Ballet that it would be easy to have everyone walking all over me if I didn't stick up for myself.”
“My reputation precedes me all the time, but I'm not the monster people think I am.”
“If we keep on destroying fish, there won't be any left. If the oceans die, we all die. It's as simple as that.”
“Fate is like a train. When it flies past, you can choose if you want to get on it or not, to say no or say yes.”
“A drop of water can't stop a fire alone. But a drop of water, plus another one, plus another one, then you have the rain, and the rain can stop the fire.”
“If you are afraid of losing something, then you are dependent on it. If you are not afraid, then you are free.”
“My mother really pushed me when I was young. I didn't want to go to dance classes, but for some reason, when I was there, I didn't want to come back.”
“I am not a completely stubborn person. But I have views.”
“While I enjoy it, I will continue to go onstage. While I contribute something, fine. I don't want to be dragging my feet. I don't want to become pathetic, but I think I will be lucid enough. I'll know when to stop.”
“I judge myself severely.”
“There are some ballets you can do for a long time. With others, you have to know when to stop. Some are very destructive. Forsythe's choreography pushes dancers to the extreme. That's why it's best to vary. That way, you break your body a little bit in different places, but not a lot in one place.”
“When I am on stage, I feel completely free and just want to let go.”
“If you start dancing too young, it can be torture. The bone is too soft, and it is going everywhere.”
“I just don't like authority. I do like authority when I respect it.”
“I work hard to make a gift to the audience.”
“I can't have friends in every port. I have to work very hard and be very clear about what I want to do. I cannot just swallow everything I am told. I have to decide what I want to become part of my luggage - and what I don't.”
“I loved being at the Royal Ballet. Those choreographers, MacMillan and Ashton, they knew how to translate complicated life into choreography.”