--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was afraid when I came to the Royal…" description: "\"I was afraid when I came to the Royal Ballet that it would be easy to have everyone walking all over me if I didn't stick up for myself.\" — Sylvie Guillem" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/sylvie-guillem-4764_afraid_i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ba_417356.png" --- # I was afraid when I came to the Royal Ballet that it would… ![“I was afraid when I came to the Royal Ballet that it would be easy to have everyone walking all over me if I didn't stick up for myself.” quote by Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/sylvie-guillem-4764_afraid_i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ba_417356.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/sylvie-guillem-4764_afraid_i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ba_417356.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/sylvie-guillem-4764_afraid_i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ba_417356.png) > “I was afraid when I came to the Royal Ballet that it would be easy to have everyone walking all over me if I didn't stick up for myself.” [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She feared being taken advantage of unless she asserted herself in a demanding environment. **In simple terms:** Fear of being stepped on unless you stand up. Key Takeaway Assert boundaries early. Themes confidence self‑respect assertiveness Mood determined reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - dance rehearsals - new job - team projects - social gatherings Key Concepts personal power boundary setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize when to assert? - What signals show you’re being respected? A Different Perspective Even with confidence, others may still test limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) ## Related quotes > [I loved being at the Royal Ballet. Those choreographers, MacMillan and Ashton, they knew how to translate complicated life into choreography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-loved-being-at-the-royal-ballet-those-choreographers-macmillan-and/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [The last time you were happy about nothing; the first time you were afraid about nothing. Which came first?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/the-last-time-you-were-happy-about-nothing-the-first-time-you-were/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [For a long time everyone had a stereotype of ballet that it was easy and that we were just prancing around. But thanks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-hayward/for-a-long-time-everyone-had-a-stereotype-of-ballet-that-it-was-easy/) [Francesca Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-hayward/) > [The Royal Ballet was good to me. They gave me everything I asked for. It's just... I felt tricked. I became a principal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-royal-ballet-was-good-to-me-they-gave-me-everything-i-asked-for/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I joined the Royal Ballet School when I was 13. Before then, I'd done ballet twice a week after school. The rest of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-joined-the-royal-ballet-school-when-i-was-13-before-then-i-d-done/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [One of the few things in dance to match the Royal Ballet's curtain calls is the Royal Ballet's dancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barnes/one-of-the-few-things-in-dance-to-match-the-royal-ballet-s-curtain/) [Clive Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barnes/) > [I do take class because I still dance, and yes, I do slip into class with the Royal Ballet from time to time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-bull/i-do-take-class-because-i-still-dance-and-yes-i-do-slip-into-class/) [Deborah Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-bull/) > [There's no agents or managers to represent them. Dancers don't have any voice. They have nothing. Nobody can afford a flat to live in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/there-s-no-agents-or-managers-to-represent-them-dancers-don-t-have/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I'm so happy that I ventured out beyond the Royal Ballet - which is my home, and I love it - but I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-hayward/i-m-so-happy-that-i-ventured-out-beyond-the-royal-ballet-which-is-my/) [Francesca Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-hayward/) > [I have learned a great deal from the theatrical side of Covent Garden. The Paris Opera Ballet is more concerned with technique. It's perfect.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-have-learned-a-great-deal-from-the-theatrical-side-of-covent-garden/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [When I left The Royal Ballet, I didn't have anybody to talk to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/when-i-left-the-royal-ballet-i-didn-t-have-anybody-to-talk-to/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [The Royal Ballet is the best paid company, but the dancers get nothing. The stage crew get paid three times more than the dancers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-royal-ballet-is-the-best-paid-company-but-the-dancers-get-nothing/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I was probably around 14 or 15 when I became really conscious of those girls who were going on to the Royal Ballet school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-phillips/i-was-probably-around-14-or-15-when-i-became-really-conscious-of/) [Arlene Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlene-phillips/) > [The only family I knew was the Royal Ballet and I didn't feel I was part of it in a way. I moved up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-only-family-i-knew-was-the-royal-ballet-and-i-didn-t-feel-i-was/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [Dancing is a tough career, but I'm glad I spent it at the Royal Ballet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-bull/dancing-is-a-tough-career-but-i-m-glad-i-spent-it-at-the-royal-ballet/) [Deborah Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-bull/) ## More by Sylvie Guillem > [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [Having limits to push against is how you find out what you can do. I have always been full of contradictions. I am shy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/having-limits-to-push-against-is-how-you-find-out-what-you-can-do-i/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [I've learned to listen to what's going on with my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-ve-learned-to-listen-to-what-s-going-on-with-my-body/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [I can't have friends in every port. I have to work very hard and be very clear about what I want to do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-can-t-have-friends-in-every-port-i-have-to-work-very-hard-and-be/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [Ballet is hard enough when you go with it; when you have to force your body to do things, it is so much harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/ballet-is-hard-enough-when-you-go-with-it-when-you-have-to-force-your/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [Terrorism is not a small problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/terrorism-is-not-a-small-problem/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [If you start dancing too young, it can be torture. The bone is too soft, and it is going everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/if-you-start-dancing-too-young-it-can-be-torture-the-bone-is-too-soft/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [Dancers, you know, they have pain everywhere: ankles in the morning, or back or neck or ribs or knees or the muscles. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/dancers-you-know-they-have-pain-everywhere-ankles-in-the-morning-or/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [If you are afraid of losing something, then you are dependent on it. If you are not afraid, then you are free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/if-you-are-afraid-of-losing-something-then-you-are-dependent-on-it-if/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [I was born with a different physical capacity to other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-was-born-with-a-different-physical-capacity-to-other-people/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > ['Romeo and Juliet,' 'Manon,' 'Giselle' - they are not stupid stories. They have fantastic characters. They have a big package of emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/romeo-and-juliet-manon-giselle-they-are-not-stupid-stories-they-have/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [I loved being at the Royal Ballet. Those choreographers, MacMillan and Ashton, they knew how to translate complicated life into choreography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-loved-being-at-the-royal-ballet-those-choreographers-macmillan-and/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [One has to learn to say, 'Wait, there is a pain that is not logical. I will do a scan, and if there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/one-has-to-learn-to-say-wait-there-is-a-pain-that-is-not-logical-i/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [It is in my nature to be a little shy. It takes time for me to talk to people and trust them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/it-is-in-my-nature-to-be-a-little-shy-it-takes-time-for-me-to-talk-to/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [My mother really pushed me when I was young. I didn't want to go to dance classes, but for some reason, when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/my-mother-really-pushed-me-when-i-was-young-i-didn-t-want-to-go-to/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) [Explore all 106 Sylvie Guillem quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) Darlene Senger > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was afraid when I came to the Royal Ballet that it would be easy to have everyone walking all over me if I didn't stick up for myself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sylvie Guillem" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ballet-that-it-would-be-easy-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ballet-that-it-would-be-easy-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/sylvie-guillem-4764_afraid_i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ba_417356.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/sylvie-guillem-4764_afraid_i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ba_417356.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/sylvie-guillem-4764_afraid_i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ba_417356.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was afraid when I came to the Royal Ballet that it would be easy to have everyone walking all over me if I…” — Sylvie Guillem", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sylvie Guillem", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was afraid when I came...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ballet-that-it-would-be-easy-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/i-was-afraid-when-i-came-to-the-royal-ballet-that-it-would-be-easy-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```