Carlos Acosta

But it didn't work out that way. He achieved the fame and fortune that he always dreamed about, but in a very different profession. He became a ballet dancer. Today Carlos Acosta is one of the world's most stunning classical ballet dancers, admired internationally for his firecracker, yet refined technique, for his riveting acting, and for his magnetic presence on stage. He is considered a national treasure in his own country, and a matinee idol to global dance goers. His life-story reads like a fairy-tale: from pauper to prince, from ne'er-do-well to dance-deity. Carlos grew up in a shantytown in Fidel Castro's politically isolated Cuba, knowing poverty, hardship and family tragedies. He'd play truant from school to kick a football around or break-dance to a boom box and suffered his father's wrath when found out. The solution for his unruly behaviour was to send him to ballet school where he would be disciplined, trained for a career and fed - for free. It was many years before the young lad would accept the strict demands of a pursuit he saw as 'sissy'. But finally, through many hard lessons, perseverance and natural talent, he has soared to international recognition.