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At least in my performances, the audience has become so diverse in a way that I don't think ballet has ever experienced.

I am passionate about ballet.

I want the ballet world to be given the respect that it deserves and to be seen by more people - for so many to experience the beauty that I've received from the ballet world.

Every ballet, whether or not successful artistically or with the public, has given me something important.

Being the only African American at this level in American Ballet Theater, I feel like people are looking at me, and it's my responsibility for me to do whatever I can to provide these opportunities in communities to be able to educate them.

I wanted to open the dialogue about race in ballet and bring more people in. It's just beautiful to see the interest that has exploded for such an incredible art form that I will forever be grateful to!

There's only a certain amount of space in every ballet company. You're basically on a team. You want to succeed as a group but all want to have the same roles.

Ballet is like any other art form in that we all start out knowing nothing about it.

Ballet is sort of a mystery to me. And I don't want to unravel that mystery.

At the ballet classes I took when I first came to New York, I would see great dancers like Cynthia Gregory and Lupe Serrano. I would look at them and study what they could do, and what I couldn't do. And then I'd think maybe they should try what I could do.