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

83

"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

74

"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

62

"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

61

"The body never lies."

"The body never lies."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

53

"Censorship is the height of vanity."

"Censorship is the height of vanity."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

Censorship, Vanity

49

"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

48

"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

47

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

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

Suzanne Farrell, American Dancer

47

"The body says what words cannot."

"The body says what words cannot."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

46

"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

43

"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

42

"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

41

"Take your work seriously, but never yourself."

"Take your work seriously, but never yourself."

Margot Fonteyn, English Dancer

41

"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

40

"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

40

"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

39

"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

39

"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

39

"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

38

"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

38

"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

38

"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

38

"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

38

"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

37

"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

37

"I don't mean this, but I'm going to say it anyway. I don't really think of pop art and serious art as being that far apart."

"I don't mean this, but I'm going to say it anyway. I don't really think of pop art and serious art as being that far apart."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

36

"My feet are dogs."

"My feet are dogs."

Rudolf Nureyev, Russian Dancer

36

"So many dancers paint. I used to paint. I started again recently. While I was dancing, I was very busy with my career. Start something else that makes use of your creative ability because if you don't you will die inside as a person."

"So many dancers paint. I used to paint. I started again recently. While I was dancing, I was very busy with my career. Start something else that makes use of your creative ability because if you don't you will die inside as a person."

Katherine Dunham, American Dancer

Ability, Career, Dancing, Will

35

"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

34

"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

34

"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

34

"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

34

"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

33

"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

33

"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

33

"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

33

"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

33

"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

33

"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

32

"Nearly everything in life goes in threes and fours."

"Nearly everything in life goes in threes and fours."

Ninette de Valois, Irish Dancer

32

"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

32

"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

32

"Every dance is a kind of fever chart, a graph of the heart."

"Every dance is a kind of fever chart, a graph of the heart."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

31

"Haiti itself was also photographed, some of the streets, some of the mountains, rivers, streams, etc. were photographed before talking with me about how I felt about Haiti. Then the camera went to our voodoo temple and saw a serious ceremony, a real ceremony."

"Haiti itself was also photographed, some of the streets, some of the mountains, rivers, streams, etc. were photographed before talking with me about how I felt about Haiti. Then the camera went to our voodoo temple and saw a serious ceremony, a real ceremony."

Katherine Dunham, American Dancer

Temple, Ceremony, Mountains, Rivers

31

"I liked tap, because I liked hearing the results of my movements."

"I liked tap, because I liked hearing the results of my movements."

Suzanne Farrell, American Dancer

Hearing, Results

31

"The formal education that I received made little sense to me."

"The formal education that I received made little sense to me."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

Education, Sense

31

"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

31

"Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion."

"Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

30

"In terms of individuals who actually inspired me, very few of the academic people that I had access to had that power over me. Maybe it's simply because I wasn't that committed to geometry."

"In terms of individuals who actually inspired me, very few of the academic people that I had access to had that power over me. Maybe it's simply because I wasn't that committed to geometry."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

Power, People, Geometry

30

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