carlos acosta, thank you very i dance. i like that. carlos i acosta, thank you very much dance.ast sharing your cultural life. for podcast episodes of this cultural— podcast episodes of this cultural life _ podcast episodes of this cultural life go- podcast episodes of this cultural life go to - podcast episodes of this cultural life go to bbc i podcast episodes of this i cultural life go to bbc sounds or wherever— cultural life go to bbc sounds or wherever you _ cultural life go to bbc sounds or wherever you get - cultural life go to bbc sounds or wherever you get your- or wherever you get your podcasts _ hello. it is shaping up to be yet another unsettled weekend of weather but that doesn't mean it's going to be raining all the time — far from it. while it will be showery and quite breezy, there'll be some drier spells, too. in fact, parts of the south and the east are going to see the driest of the weather, furthest away from the centre of this area of low pressure — that is what will be driving the showers over the weekend. and see all the white lines, the isobars squeezing

now on bbc news, this cultural life: carlos acosta.ello, i'm john wilson, welcome to this cultural life, the radio 4 podcast in which i talk to leading creative figures about the key moments of their life and the most important cultural works that have fired their imagination and had a profound impact on their own art. my guest is carlos acosta, the cuban born ballet star who, over a 30 year career, is now regarded as one of the greatest dancers of all time, becoming the first black principal of the royal ballet and set new standards of grace and athleticism in theatres around the world. having retired from the classical stage, he set up his own cuban dance company, and is also a director of the berlin royal ballet. welcome. let's start in cuba, with your family, your upbringing. a happy childhood? very happy, i must say, although in the �*80s in cuba, our family was i would say, it was poorer than most families but still there was a big big sense of community. it was a good time for cuba — anybody could participate, do everything that

my guest is carlos acosta, the cuban—born ballet star who, over a 30—year career, is now regarded as of the greatest dancers of all time. he became the first black principal of the royal ballet and set new standards of grace and athleticism in theatres around the world. having retired from the classical stage, he set up his own cuban dance company, acosta danza, and is also director of the birmingham royal ballet. welcome. let's start in cuba, with yourfamily, your upbringing. a happy childhood? very happy, i must say, although in the �*80s in cuba, still, our family was on the... i would say it was poorer than most families, but still there was a big, big sense of community. it was a good time for cuba — anybody could participate, to everything that society offers. obviously education was free, there was a lot of community parties that brought the community together. i was a very restless, wild kid, and it was in the �*80s where the breakdancing movement started in cuba and everything, so i was into the breakdancing scene. obviously, later on in my family, my mother started to have

my guest is carlos acosta, the cuban born ballet star who over a 30 year career is now regarded as oneds of grace and set new standards of grace and athleticism in

now on bbc news, this cultural life: carlos acosta.

my guest is carlos acosta, the cuban—born ballet star who, over a 30—year career, is now regarded astired from the classical stage, he set up his own cuban dance company, acosta danza, and is also director of the birmingham royal ballet.

fantastic as a ballet man, are you going to tell me something about carlos acosta? >> i was.ing which you quickly want to talk about, the james norton a little life. yes. stunning gruelling, extraordinary experience that i'm so glad i saw. but it is it's a lot to take in that got extended in theatres . i went extended in theatres. i went across to the savoy to meet ticket demand that's now going into cinemas as well. and that i urge people to see james norton is incredible. it's not an easy watch . watch. >> had you had you read the book? read the book. book? i had not read the book. people say that that the play has very little compared to the book. i mean, how can they be the same? because the length of the same? because the length of the two eight, 900 pages, but some people lamented, i haven't either seen it already. >> book more about the >> the book has more about the other the play is other characters. the play is much focussed on the much more focussed on the central the other central characters. the other characters bit more characters are a little bit more two in th