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

126

"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

91

"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

81

"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

74

"Any comic is a tragic soul. Comedy is one of the things that allows one to survive. Particularly if one has been in the process of separating off the emotions, it's one place you can process them."

"Any comic is a tragic soul. Comedy is one of the things that allows one to survive. Particularly if one has been in the process of separating off the emotions, it's one place you can process them."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

Soul, Comedy, Emotions

73

"The body never lies."

"The body never lies."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

66

"The body says what words cannot."

"The body says what words cannot."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

64

"Censorship is the height of vanity."

"Censorship is the height of vanity."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

Censorship, Vanity

62

"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

60

"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

60

"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

54

"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

51

"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

51

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

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

Suzanne Farrell, American Dancer

51

"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

50

"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

50

"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

50

"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

50

"Take your work seriously, but never yourself."

"Take your work seriously, but never yourself."

Margot Fonteyn, English Dancer

50

"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

49

"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

49

"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

49

"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

48

"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

48

"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

48

"I started formal piano training when I was 4. From there I had little violas, and I had dancing lessons of every sort and description, and painting lessons. I had German. And shorthand."

"I started formal piano training when I was 4. From there I had little violas, and I had dancing lessons of every sort and description, and painting lessons. I had German. And shorthand."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

Dance, Dancing, Painting, Training

47

"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

47

"I was privileged to be able to study a year with Martha Graham, the last year she was teaching."

"I was privileged to be able to study a year with Martha Graham, the last year she was teaching."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

Study, Teaching

47

"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

46

"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

46

"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

46

"Theater is a verb before it is a noun, an act before it is a place."

"Theater is a verb before it is a noun, an act before it is a place."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

45

"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

45

"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

45

"My feet are dogs."

"My feet are dogs."

Rudolf Nureyev, Russian Dancer

45

"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

44

"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

44

"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

44

"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

44

"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

44

"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

44

"Somebody must always be doing something new, or life would get very dull."

"Somebody must always be doing something new, or life would get very dull."

Ninette de Valois, Irish Dancer

43

"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

43

"I don't think Ed Sullivan had anything to do with Carib Song."

"I don't think Ed Sullivan had anything to do with Carib Song."

Katherine Dunham, American Dancer

43

"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

43

"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

43

"I want to leave this company in the best possible shape."

"I want to leave this company in the best possible shape."

Karen Kain, Canadian Dancer

43

"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

43

"I thought I had to make an impact on history. I had to become the greatest choreographer of my time. That was my mission. Posterity deals with us however it sees fit. But I gave it 20 years of my best shot."

"I thought I had to make an impact on history. I had to become the greatest choreographer of my time. That was my mission. Posterity deals with us however it sees fit. But I gave it 20 years of my best shot."

Twyla Tharp, American Dancer

History, Time, Thought, Deals

43

"I certainly feel my career was a great career because it inspired so many many people, literally hundreds of people to follow a new kind of life and to realize that they could make out and advance their own professional and private and social lives."

"I certainly feel my career was a great career because it inspired so many many people, literally hundreds of people to follow a new kind of life and to realize that they could make out and advance their own professional and private and social lives."

Katherine Dunham, American Dancer

Life, People, Career

42

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