Ballerina Darcey Bussell joins Sydney Dance Co

Ballerina Darcey Bussell has found a new role since retiring from The Royal Ballet and moving to Australia - board member of the financially troubled Sydney Dance Company.

Bussell, 39, who quit The Royal Ballet last year and moved to Sydney in January with her Australian-born banker husband Angus Forbes and two daughters, will join the contemporary dance company's board in August, according to Australian media reports.

The move echoes that of Oscar-winning Australian actress Cate Blanchett who joined the Sydney Theatre Company as co-artistic director with her playwright husband Andrew Upton in late 2006.

Blanchett said she was tired of Hollywood and wanted to pursue her first love, theatre, with the company with which she began her career. Her celebrity put a renewed spotlight on the company which calls itself Australia's premier theatre company.

Bussell, who is described as one of the world's great dancers, decided to join Sydney Dance Company which is renowned for its contemporary dance rather than The Australian Ballet which may come as a surprise to some.

In a statement reported by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, Bussell admitted she was best known for her classical roles but said her repertoire was greater.

"I have also had the pleasure of roles being created on me in many new works commissioned by the Royal Ballet. I understand the importance of creating new dance both for dancers and audiences," she said in the statement.

"It is this that excites me about Sydney Dance Company, and it's why I have decided to join their board."

At the 32-year-old Sydney Dance Company, Bussell will be involved in selecting an artistic director after the departure last year of its founder Graeme Murphy.

His successor, Tanja Liedtke, 29, had not yet taken up the role when she was killed in a road accident in Sydney last August.

The announcement of Bussell's appointment came just days ahead of the Sydney Dance Company's production "360 Degrees" which is viewed as vitally important for the company's financial and critical success.

Since the late 1990s, the Sydney Dance Company has been struggling financially.