[But there are others uneasy about the encroachment of bare skin.] I think as a rule in classical ballet there is not a great call for nudity, ... Our aesthetic is one built around a clarity of line and form which is seen at its best when there is a uniform covering of the body.

[So we won't be seeing the Australian Ballet consider a naked Albrecht, a la Mats Ek, any time soon?] It would not be the sort of thing that we would seek out, ... I think if one relies on sensationalist nudity to make a ballet relevant to a contemporary audience then there obviously is some work needed on that ballet.

Russians are very discerning about ballet. They're very opinionated about what classical ballet is.

With classical ballet you are literally injuring yourself.

I really do think over the last 10 years there's been a real shift away from being slightly uneasy about what happened to the ship. I think people feel the time is right to celebrate the fact the ship was built in Belfast.

Once, the arts were opera, ballet, classical music, and everything else deemed highbrow.