Main content
This programme is not currently available on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer

Darcey Bussell: My Life on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

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 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 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.

1 hour

Last on

Mon 8 Jan 2024 02:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four

Clip

Music Played

  • Jules Massenet

    Manon

    Music Arranger: Leighton Lucas. Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra.

  • LΓ©o Delibes

    Sylvia - Act 1

    Conductor: Graham Bond. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Ludwig Minkus

    La Bayadere

    Music Arranger: John Lanchbery. Performer: Paul Stobart.

  • Benjamin Britten

    The Prince of the Pagodas - Act 1

    Conductor: Ashley Lawrence. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Benjamin Britten

    The Prince of the Pagodas

    Conductor: Ashley Lawrence. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Winter Dreams

    Music Arranger: Philip Gammon. Music Arranger: Thomas de Hartmann. Performer: Philip Gammon.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux

    Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Gioachino Rossini

    SoirΓ©es Musicales - Cazonetta

    Composer: Benjamin Britten. Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra.

  • Franz Liszt

    Mayerling

    Music Arranger: John Lanchbery. Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Sleeping Beauty

    Conductor: Bernard Haitink. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Georges Bizet

    Symphony in C

    Conductor: Paul Murphy. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

  • Ludwig Minkus

    La Bayadere

    Music Arranger: John Lanchbery. Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra.

  • Brian Easdale

    The Red Shoes

    Conductor: Brian Easdale. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

  • Sergey Prokofiev

    Cinderella

    Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra.

  • Alexander Glazunov

    Birthday Offering

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Georges Bizet

    Seguidilla

    Librettist: Henri Meilhac. Librettist: Ludovic HalΓ©vy. Performer: Lesley Garrett. Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Sleeping Beauty

    Conductor: Anthony Twiner. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Sir James MacMillan

    Tryst

    Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Joseph Swenson.

  • LΓ©o Delibes

    Sylvia - Act 1

    Conductor: Graham Bond. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • LΓ©o Delibes

    Sylvia - Act 2

    Conductor: Graham Bond. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • LΓ©o Delibes

    Sylvia - Act 3

    Conductor: Graham Bond. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Sleeping Beauty

    Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

  • Jules Massenet

    Manon

    Music Arranger: Leighton Lucas. Conductor: Richard Bonynge. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Song of the Earth

    Performer: Catherine Wyn-Rogers. Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

  • Steve Mac

    Viva Tonight

    Performer: Katherine Jenkins. Composer: Wayne Hector.

  • Jay Livingston

    Stuff Like that There

    Composer: Ray Evans. Performer: Hayley Sanderson. Conductor: Dave Arch. Performer: Tommy Blaize. Performer: Lance Ellington. Performer: Andrea Grant.

  • LΓ©o Delibes

    Sylvia

    Conductor: Philip Cornfield.

Credits

Performer Darcey Bussell
Producer Andy King-Dabbs
Executive Producer Mark Cooper

Broadcasts

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.