Diane Paulus

Look at where I lived! Four blocks from Lincoln Center. I used to play in the fountain. And then I started taking dance lessons. I was in ‘The Nutcracker’ for the N.Y. City Ballet when I was 8 and dancing in ‘The Firebird’ for George Balanchine when I was 9. Believe me, that’s something you don’t ever forget.

– Diane Paulus

I discovered that there is Indian blood in my ancestry on my father’s side – a fact that had not been talked about in my family. No wonder I’ve often been cast in exotic roles – Indian princesses, Russian revolutionaries, Algerians, Gypsies and Greeks.