Quotes by Dancer | Beyond Motive

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Quotes by Dancer

"And dance is wonderful because dance is so immediate."

"And dance is wonderful because dance is so immediate."

Graeme Murphy, Australian Dancer

61

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

49

"In ballet a complicated story is impossible to tell... we can't dance synonyms."

"In ballet a complicated story is impossible to tell... we can't dance synonyms."

George Balanchine, Russian Dancer

42

"The body never lies."

"The body never lies."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

41

"The ballet is a purely female thing; it is a woman, a garden of beautiful flowers, and man is the gardener."

"The ballet is a purely female thing; it is a woman, a garden of beautiful flowers, and man is the gardener."

George Balanchine, Russian Dancer

Ballet, Flowers, Garden, Man

41

"Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words."

"Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and apparently, 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the words."

Deborah Bull, British Dancer

Body, Conversation, Language, Speech

37

"Censorship is the height of vanity."

"Censorship is the height of vanity."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

Censorship, Vanity

36

"There are movements which impinge upon the nerves with a strength that is incomparable, for movement has power to stir the senses and emotions, unique in itself."

"There are movements which impinge upon the nerves with a strength that is incomparable, for movement has power to stir the senses and emotions, unique in itself."

Doris Humphrey, American Dancer

Power, Strength, Emotions, Nerves

35

"I have been very lucky to work in so many new ballets, but that is what a dancer's work is."

"I have been very lucky to work in so many new ballets, but that is what a dancer's work is."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

34

"I learned to love dance for its own sake."

"I learned to love dance for its own sake."

Suzanne Farrell, American Dancer

33

"Take your work seriously, but never yourself."

"Take your work seriously, but never yourself."

Margot Fonteyn, English Dancer

33

"The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark."

"The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark."

Agnes de Mille, American Dancer

Artist, May, Wrong

32

"It's not magic! It's physics. The speed of the turn is what keeps you upright. It's like a spinning top."

"It's not magic! It's physics. The speed of the turn is what keeps you upright. It's like a spinning top."

Deborah Bull, British Dancer

31

"The body says what words cannot."

"The body says what words cannot."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

28

"I never studied with Balanchine, but his work was very important to me."

"I never studied with Balanchine, but his work was very important to me."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

28

"It seems to me monstrous that anyone should believe that the jazz rhythm expresses America. Jazz rhythm expresses the primitive savage."

"It seems to me monstrous that anyone should believe that the jazz rhythm expresses America. Jazz rhythm expresses the primitive savage."

Isadora Duncan, American Dancer

28

"My feet are dogs."

"My feet are dogs."

Rudolf Nureyev, Russian Dancer

27

"The truest expression of a people is in its dances and its music. Bodies never lie."

"The truest expression of a people is in its dances and its music. Bodies never lie."

Agnes de Mille, American Dancer

Music, Lie, People, Expression

26

"To me, a building - if it's beautiful - is the love of one man, he's made it out of his love for space, materials, things like that."

"To me, a building - if it's beautiful - is the love of one man, he's made it out of his love for space, materials, things like that."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

Love, Building, Man, Space

26

"The dancer's body is simply the luminous manifestation of the soul."

"The dancer's body is simply the luminous manifestation of the soul."

Isadora Duncan, American Dancer

26

"The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word."

"The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word."

Mata Hari, Dutch Dancer

25

"With what price we pay for the glory of motherhood."

"With what price we pay for the glory of motherhood."

Isadora Duncan, American Dancer

Glory, Motherhood

25

"Dance is bigger than the physical body. When you extend your arm, it doesn't stop at the end of your fingers, because you're dancing bigger than that; you're dancing spirit."

"Dance is bigger than the physical body. When you extend your arm, it doesn't stop at the end of your fingers, because you're dancing bigger than that; you're dancing spirit."

Judith Jamison, American Dancer

Dance, Body, Dancing, End

25

"I get speeding ticket like everybody else. If the restaurant is full I'm waiting in line like everybody else."

"I get speeding ticket like everybody else. If the restaurant is full I'm waiting in line like everybody else."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

25

"I would have to challenge the term, modern dance. I don't really use that term in relation to my work. I simply think of it as dancing. I think of it as moving."

"I would have to challenge the term, modern dance. I don't really use that term in relation to my work. I simply think of it as dancing. I think of it as moving."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

Work, Dance, Challenge, Dancing

24

"Dance has never been a particularly easy life, and everybody knows that."

"Dance has never been a particularly easy life, and everybody knows that."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

24

"We have the capacity to receive messages from the stars and the songs of the night winds."

"We have the capacity to receive messages from the stars and the songs of the night winds."

Ruth St. Denis, American Dancer

Night, Songs, Stars

24

"Oh yes, after the war, and we were all starving - we had no proper food or anything - no proper shoes."

"Oh yes, after the war, and we were all starving - we had no proper food or anything - no proper shoes."

Ninette de Valois, Irish Dancer

24

"It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance."

"It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance."

Ruth St. Denis, American Dancer

Dance, Question

24

"Think of the magic of that foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle, and the dance is a celebration of that miracle."

"Think of the magic of that foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle, and the dance is a celebration of that miracle."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

Dance, Magic, Weight

23

"The real message of the Dance opens up the vistas of life to all who have the urge to express beauty with no other instrument than their own bodies, with no apparatus and no dependence on anything other than space."

"The real message of the Dance opens up the vistas of life to all who have the urge to express beauty with no other instrument than their own bodies, with no apparatus and no dependence on anything other than space."

Ruth St. Denis, American Dancer

Beauty, Life, Dance, Dependence

23

"I used to want the words "She tried" on my tombstone. Now I want "She did it.""

"I used to want the words "She tried" on my tombstone. Now I want "She did it.""

Katherine Dunham, American Dancer

Now, Want, Words

23

"It's ungrateful to be wishing you were doing something else at the moment you are living. You haven't lived in the moment that you are really living, you are wishing you were somewhere else."

"It's ungrateful to be wishing you were doing something else at the moment you are living. You haven't lived in the moment that you are really living, you are wishing you were somewhere else."

Suzanne Farrell, American Dancer

Living, Wishing

23

"I think the shape of our bodies has as much to do with the shape of our parents as it does with training."

"I think the shape of our bodies has as much to do with the shape of our parents as it does with training."

Deborah Bull, British Dancer

Parents, Training

23

"I kind of lost interest in the classical dance. I was very much interested in the modern choreography."

"I kind of lost interest in the classical dance. I was very much interested in the modern choreography."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

Dance, Interest

23

"In those days, male dancers were a rarer breed than women. as they are still today, A good male dancer, one as strong as we were, was very difficult to come by if you couldn't afford to pay them."

"In those days, male dancers were a rarer breed than women. as they are still today, A good male dancer, one as strong as we were, was very difficult to come by if you couldn't afford to pay them."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

Woman, Women, Today

23

"Once I started dancing, I was not the spoiled brat or the rebellious child that I was as a child."

"Once I started dancing, I was not the spoiled brat or the rebellious child that I was as a child."

Suzanne Farrell, American Dancer

23

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body."

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

Soul, Dance, Body, Language

23

"I'm proud of my Irish heritage and culture and this show will feature a lot of Irish dancing."

"I'm proud of my Irish heritage and culture and this show will feature a lot of Irish dancing."

Michael Flatley, Irish Dancer

Culture, Dancing, Will

23

"I didn't have any doubts about my choice of career, but I had constant doubts about my ability, yes."

"I didn't have any doubts about my choice of career, but I had constant doubts about my ability, yes."

Suzanne Farrell, American Dancer

Ability, Career, Choice

23

"I don't think politicians should be allowed into power who are not familiar with their bodies, because that's where our bottom line is. And I know that they would make totally different decisions if they felt responsible simply for their own bodies."

"I don't think politicians should be allowed into power who are not familiar with their bodies, because that's where our bottom line is. And I know that they would make totally different decisions if they felt responsible simply for their own bodies."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

Power, Decisions, Politicians

22

"There's nothing in the world that isn't good, bad, and indifferent."

"There's nothing in the world that isn't good, bad, and indifferent."

Ninette de Valois, Irish Dancer

22

"Our bodies are at once the receiving and transmitting stations for life itself. It is the highest wisdom to recognize this fact and train our bodies to render them sensitive and responsive to nature. art and religion."

"Our bodies are at once the receiving and transmitting stations for life itself. It is the highest wisdom to recognize this fact and train our bodies to render them sensitive and responsive to nature. art and religion."

Ruth St. Denis, American Dancer

Art, Life, Religion, Wisdom

22

"Usually that's going into biology in a certain way. There's certain strengths and weaknesses to both of the sexes. And I'm not against employing those nor am I against denying those, what I am looking for is a very large array of options."

"Usually that's going into biology in a certain way. There's certain strengths and weaknesses to both of the sexes. And I'm not against employing those nor am I against denying those, what I am looking for is a very large array of options."

Mark Morris, American Dancer

22

"I often say that in making dances I can make a world where I think things are done morally, done democratically, done honestly."

"I often say that in making dances I can make a world where I think things are done morally, done democratically, done honestly."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

22

"I loved tests because it was another form of competing, a healthy competition."

"I loved tests because it was another form of competing, a healthy competition."

Suzanne Farrell, American Dancer

Competition, Tests

22

"I don't want to be the Hollywood girl... I'm Southern and old-fashioned."

"I don't want to be the Hollywood girl... I'm Southern and old-fashioned."

Jaime Pressly, American Dancer

Hollywood, Old, Want

22

"Racism tears down your insides so that no matter what you achieve, you're not quite up to snuff."

"Racism tears down your insides so that no matter what you achieve, you're not quite up to snuff."

Alvin Ailey, American Dancer

21

"And then you have the classical ballerinas, they're like sopranos. Applied to the dance."

"And then you have the classical ballerinas, they're like sopranos. Applied to the dance."

Ninette de Valois, Irish Dancer

21

"You know, this isn't theatre like it used to be."

"You know, this isn't theatre like it used to be."

Katherine Dunham, American Dancer

21

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