BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts Hello, I'm.
Lauren Laverne and this is the Desert Island Discs podcast.
Every week I ask my guests to choose the eight tracks, book and luxury they'd want to take with them if they were cast away to a desert island.
And for rights reasons, the music is shorter than the original broadcast.
I hope you enjoy listening.
My castaway this week is the dancer Marianela Nunez, one of the leading lights of her art form.
She is principal dancer at the Royal Ballet Company, with whom she spent a remarkable 26 years.
She calls them her family.
Her performances have earned her the nickname the Queen of Covent Garden.
She started dancing when she was still a toddler, and by the age of five, she'd set her heart on classical ballet.
When she wasn't in the studio, she was watching VHS copies of Royal Ballet performances and dreaming of her chance to join the company.
She started dancing at home in Argentina when she was still a toddler.
At 15 years old, she moved to London on her own to pursue that dream and despite speaking no English, quickly rose through the ranks to become principal dancer in 2002.
She's danced every heroine in the company repertoire and has won praise for her strength, athleticism and infectious joy.
For more than 20 years, she's cemented her reputation by showcasing her dramatic and emotional range.
And with guest appearances at the most prestigious theaters and galas around the world, she says, ballet has given me a lot of happiness.
Even in my darkest moments, when I come to class, grab the bar and start to listen to the music, everything makes sense.
Marianela Nunez, welcome to Desert Island Discs.
Hello.
Thank you so much for having me here.