When the final curtain came down at London’s Royal Opera House in Covent Garden on June 8, 2007, it marked the end of an era for the Royal Ballet—Darcey Bussell, Britain’s greatest living ballerina, had hung up her pointe shoes forever. Leaving the Company at the very peak of her powers in a live televised farewell performance of Kenneth MacMillan’s somber masterpiece Song of the Earth, she took her final emotional bows to a rousing standing ovation from a packed house. Every performance created a uniquely special buzz which Clive Burton, former dance editor of Ritz magazine and a Dancing Times contributor, has vividly captured in his commentary and captions. Starting with her early promotion to Principal in 1989—after leading the Company in The Prince of The Pagodas at the age of just 20—the stunning photographs (many published for the first time) will provide a lasting source of pleasure and a joyous reminder of one of the world’s most exciting dancers. Each page a living piece of ballet history, this lavish and lovingly-produced tribute to Darcey Bussell captures forever the many special moments—on and off stage—in the life of this very special dancer.