I run Voices of British Ballet, a small oral history charity. We are charting the development of ballet in Great Britain from the 1930s onwards. British ballet was, and is, underpinned by dancers from all over the world – of all colours and denominations. Some return home and some stay on. They all, without exception, have remarkable stories to tell of love of what they do, of endurance and of professionalism, told with varying mixtures of passion and humour. British ballet would not have survived without the pioneer dancers and choreographers, or the remarkable and resilient youth that have graced our stages since. Dance is joy – everyone dances for joy! In this doom-laden world, people need reminders of this – the effect of dancing is magical. Ballet is a particular art form, needing talent and expertise, plus the wherewithal to pit your wits and talent. VBB has tried to capture all of this. I am still recording 'voices', I am still aiming for a website and our podcasts are coming out very soon. I am 75 and eternally grateful to the Fellowship for allowing me in 2006 to go to South Africa and the Antipodes to catch 80 'voices' that otherwise would not have been heard.