What's your earliest memory of dancing?

Performing at the Bolshoi when I was nine. Until then, I hadn't been that interested in ballet. I would get bored during training and my teachers were always telling me off. But when I got out on that stage and felt the audience watching, I finally understood why I'd had to do all that boring work.

What was your big breakthrough?

My first Don Quixote, here at the Royal Ballet, on tour with the Bolshoi (1). I was very young and felt I was representing both the company and Russian ballet. I was so nervous I said to myself: "I'm just going to dance this once and then I'll quit." But in the end, I just went for it – and the audience responded.

How does Britain's approach to dance-making differ from Russia's?

In technique, they're very different. But I've got used to fitting in with different companies around the world. British audiences are special, though: so many guest companies perform here – it makes them very knowledgeable. The only way to surprise them is by dancing to a very high standard.

The Bolshoi is going through tense times (2). What was your experience of dancing with the company?

My first five years were amazing. The then director, Alexei Ratmansky, had really changed the way they were working, and we younger dancers were learning so much from the older principals. Then, slowly, difficulties started and I decided to leave. I didn't want scandals: our profession is dancing, not politics. But the Bolshoi is still my home: I am from Moscow. For us, the Bolshoi was something holy. I just hope the theatre will find a way out of this.

Your fiancé, Ivan Vasiliev (3), is also a dancer. Is it important for an artist to have a partner who shares their passion?

Of course. It's a hard profession. It's difficult to have a family and continue working – especially for a woman. When I get married, I will have a decision to make about how to find that balance.

Some people say they find ballet difficult. How would you change their minds?

By never showing them how hard it is. I work very hard in rehearsals so that it looks easy on stage.

What's the biggest myth about being a ballerina?

That it's anything like Black Swan. I've never seen anyone put glass in another dancer's pointe shoes.

What one song would work as the soundtrack to your life?

Something by Freddie Mercury. He was so charismatic, and put so much emotion into his performances. I try to do the same.

What advice would you give a young dancer?

Don't say "I can't". Be honest with yourself – admit you really mean "I don't want to" or "I'm lazy". If you put in the maximum, you can achieve anything.

What's your greatest ambition?

To do my work well, and to have my own home and family. But you can't just click your fingers and expect everything to appear. Either way, I'm ready.

In Short

Born: Moscow, 1986

Career: Has performed with the Bolshoi, the Mikhailovsky, American Ballet Theatre, and as a guest dancer around the world. Recently joined the Royal Ballet as a principal dancer.

Low point: "The end of the last season. I danced so much, it broke me. I didn't want to wake up in the morning."

High point: "Every new teacher or company. Every new show. Every amazing tour."

Footnotes

(1) In August 2006, when Osipova was just 20. Her performance was a huge success: The Stage observed that she was "frequently interrupted by applause".

(2) Last week, Bolshoi dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko was found guilty of ordering an acid attack that damaged the eyesight of the company's artistic director, Sergei Filin.

(3) Vasiliev is an acclaimed dancer in his own right. They often perform together: in 2007, their performance at the Royal Opera House "had a seasoned ballet audience open-mouthed", according to the Observer's Luke Jennings.