Shortly afterwards, Healy concentrated exclusively on ballet. After having won the silver medal in the junior division at the 1982 USA International Ballet Competition, the following year she won the same event in Varna, Bulgaria, becoming the youngest ever to be awarded the gold medal. In 1984, at the age of 15, she joined the London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet) as a senior principal dancer, and performed with that company for two seasons.
Healy's career trajectory after her early success in ballet competitions led to her becoming a senior principal dancer at the London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet).