Why is ballet such a difficult art to warm up to? “The problem is that we are most comfortable with art that achieves its effects verbally. It’s no coincidence that the mass art forms are literature, cinema, pop, television and theatre. Even with a Beethoven or Mozart symphony, it’s comforting to have a programme or sleeve note revealing what the piece is “about”. With dance I always felt as if the audience had to provide mental subtitles for a silent movie. Some choreographers compensate with the use of mime, but this further repelled me, mime being the only art form lower on my list than ballet.” The Guardian (UK) 09/08/01