"You don't have to, I know ballet isn't for everyone. But if you do, let me know, I'll make sure you get a comp ticket." That's something she always prefers to do, especially if someone is seeing the ballet for the first time. She's not about to ask someone to shell out the cash it costs for a decent ticket if they don't even know if they'll like it.

Then she smiles and shrugs. "When the season is over, we start all over again. There's usually general rehearsals for a few weeks while the artistic director picks the shows for the new season. Then there will be auditions and more rehearsals."