Carlos Acosta was born in Havana, Cuba, on 2 June 1973, the eleventh and last child in an impoverished family. At the age of 16, he won a scholarship with the Turin Ballet, winning the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne. Acosta is that rarest of things -- a ballet dancer who has pirouetted into the public consciousness. He often speaks of the need for ballet to take risks, to evolve and to speak a contemporary language -- ideals that Acosta embodies. Not just a virtuoso performer, it is Acosta's ability to connect with his audience that has made him an international star and a deserved leap into the Island Archives.