Guillaume Diop had heard the whispers: His feet were flat, his bottom too big; he would never get into the Paris Opera Ballet School. He proved the naysayers wrong, entering the school at 12.

A: Working in Paris has made me what I am today ... I used to go to the ballet school in Nagano from my high school in Matsumoto for lessons from the evening through 1 a.m. in the morning.

The first Brazilian to join the Paris Opera Ballet company ... especially during performance seasons. Classes start in the morning, and rehearsals extend into the evening. During showtime ...