Quotes by Dancer | Beyond Motive 7/8

top of page

Quotes by Dancer

"You and I are but specks of that rhythmic urge which is Brahma, which is Allah, which is God."

"You and I are but specks of that rhythmic urge which is Brahma, which is Allah, which is God."

Ruth St. Denis, American Dancer

2

"And currently, there are four to five new works in the pipeline for upcoming celebrations such as the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Australian Federation, my 50th Birthday, and Sydney Dance Company's 25th Anniversary."

"And currently, there are four to five new works in the pipeline for upcoming celebrations such as the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Australian Federation, my 50th Birthday, and Sydney Dance Company's 25th Anniversary."

Graeme Murphy, Australian Dancer

Birthday, Dance, Company

2

"I like to do cover songs if I really love them, I have to love the song first."

"I like to do cover songs if I really love them, I have to love the song first."

Paul Taylor, American Dancer

Love, First, Song, Songs

2

"They improve greatly, and sometimes I go and see the performances they do and I am consciously aware that there isn't enough work for the good dancers."

"They improve greatly, and sometimes I go and see the performances they do and I am consciously aware that there isn't enough work for the good dancers."

Siobhan Davies, English Dancer

2

"I believe that my whole creative life stemmed from this magic hour under the stars on that hilltop."

"I believe that my whole creative life stemmed from this magic hour under the stars on that hilltop."

Ruth St. Denis, American Dancer

Life, Magic, Stars

2

"My dance classes were open to anybody, my only stipulation was that they had to come to the class every day."

"My dance classes were open to anybody, my only stipulation was that they had to come to the class every day."

Merce Cunningham, American Dancer

Dance, Class, Day, Open

2

"I am trying to show the world that we are all human beings and that color is not important. What is important is the quality of our work."

"I am trying to show the world that we are all human beings and that color is not important. What is important is the quality of our work."

Alvin Ailey, American Dancer

Work, Quality, Trying, World

2

"Although one may fail to find happiness in theatrical life, one never wishes to give it up after having once tasted its fruits."

"Although one may fail to find happiness in theatrical life, one never wishes to give it up after having once tasted its fruits."

Anna Pavlova, Russian Dancer

Happiness, Life, May, Wishes

2

"This hiatus coming up I'm looking at a comedy because I need the balance."

"This hiatus coming up I'm looking at a comedy because I need the balance."

Khandi Alexander, American Dancer

Balance, Comedy

2

"To achieve some depth in your field requires a lot of sacrifices. Want to or not, you're thinking about what you're doing in life-in my case, dancing."

"To achieve some depth in your field requires a lot of sacrifices. Want to or not, you're thinking about what you're doing in life-in my case, dancing."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

Life, Dancing, Thinking, Want

2

"It's not about weight, it's about fitness, and one component of being fit is to have relatively low body fat, because fat is not very efficient, whereas muscle is."

"It's not about weight, it's about fitness, and one component of being fit is to have relatively low body fat, because fat is not very efficient, whereas muscle is."

Deborah Bull, British Dancer

Fitness, Being, Body, Weight

2

"The real American type can never be a ballet dancer. The legs are too long, the body too supple and the spirit too free for this school of affected grace and toe walking."

"The real American type can never be a ballet dancer. The legs are too long, the body too supple and the spirit too free for this school of affected grace and toe walking."

Isadora Duncan, American Dancer

American, Ballet, Body, Grace

2

"Whenever I hear, 'It can't be done,' I know I'm close to success."

"Whenever I hear, 'It can't be done,' I know I'm close to success."

Michael Flatley, Irish Dancer

2

"There's a line of dancers waiting to get into Sydney Dance Company."

"There's a line of dancers waiting to get into Sydney Dance Company."

Graeme Murphy, Australian Dancer

Dance, Company, Waiting

2

"I mean, I think in the early days we were pretty... pretty British in our entertainment leads."

"I mean, I think in the early days we were pretty... pretty British in our entertainment leads."

Graeme Murphy, Australian Dancer

Entertainment, Pretty

2

"I always did each show for about two years. So if you play the music, it just comes back to me."

"I always did each show for about two years. So if you play the music, it just comes back to me."

Gwen Verdon, American Dancer

Music, Play, Years

2

"The dance world is too small in lots of ways - it's too intense, it rattles around itself, and it needs exposing to other ideas."

"The dance world is too small in lots of ways - it's too intense, it rattles around itself, and it needs exposing to other ideas."

Siobhan Davies, English Dancer

Dance, Ideas, Needs, World

2

"As we rise higher in the understanding of ourselves, the national and racial dissonances will be forgotten in the universal rhythms of Truth and Love."

"As we rise higher in the understanding of ourselves, the national and racial dissonances will be forgotten in the universal rhythms of Truth and Love."

Ruth St. Denis, American Dancer

Love, Truth, Understanding, Will

2

"Yes, Carl Vine stuck around. He's now number one composer for choreography."

"Yes, Carl Vine stuck around. He's now number one composer for choreography."

Graeme Murphy, Australian Dancer

2

"I like comedy, I love it very much, I love laughing."

"I like comedy, I love it very much, I love laughing."

Khandi Alexander, American Dancer

2

"Most human beings today waste some 25 to 30 years of their lives before they break through the actual and conventional lies which surround them."

"Most human beings today waste some 25 to 30 years of their lives before they break through the actual and conventional lies which surround them."

Isadora Duncan, American Dancer

Lie, Lies, Today, Waste, Years

2

"Classical ballet will never die."

"Classical ballet will never die."

Ninette de Valois, Irish Dancer

2

"The creative process is not controlled by a switch you can simply turn on or off; it's with you all the time."

"The creative process is not controlled by a switch you can simply turn on or off; it's with you all the time."

Alvin Ailey, American Dancer

2

"A good dancer is an educated one, so don't abandon school."

"A good dancer is an educated one, so don't abandon school."

Deborah Bull, British Dancer

2

"In liberal democracy and anxious anarchy, the traditional classic dance, compact of aristocratic authority and absolute freedom in a necessity of order, has never been so promising as an independent expression as it is today."

"In liberal democracy and anxious anarchy, the traditional classic dance, compact of aristocratic authority and absolute freedom in a necessity of order, has never been so promising as an independent expression as it is today."

Lincoln Kirstein, American Dancer

Dance, Anarchy, Authority, Democracy

2

"Dancing is my obsession. My life."

"Dancing is my obsession. My life."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

Life, Dancing, Obsession

2

"It's weird when you see pieces of choreography that were done for you 15 or 20 years ago and now they are being done by another dance company."

"It's weird when you see pieces of choreography that were done for you 15 or 20 years ago and now they are being done by another dance company."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

Dance, Being, Company, Now

2

"People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them."

"People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them."

Judith Jamison, American Dancer

Beauty, People, Dance

2

"Working is living to me."

"Working is living to me."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

2

"It's another myth that dancing distorts or destroys your feet. If you have the right shaped foot to start and a good, strong technique, your feet should be fine."

"It's another myth that dancing distorts or destroys your feet. If you have the right shaped foot to start and a good, strong technique, your feet should be fine."

Deborah Bull, British Dancer

Dance, Dancing, Feet, Myth, Right

1

"I danced with passion to spite the music."

"I danced with passion to spite the music."

Gelsey Kirkland, American Dancer

1

"I do take class because I still dance, and yes, I do slip into class with the Royal Ballet from time to time."

"I do take class because I still dance, and yes, I do slip into class with the Royal Ballet from time to time."

Deborah Bull, British Dancer

Time, Dance, Ballet, Class

1

"Time is running out to permeate the piece."

"Time is running out to permeate the piece."

Tommy Tune, American Dancer

1

"It's what's left in life, to work with interesting people."

"It's what's left in life, to work with interesting people."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

Work, Life, People

1

"First we have to believe, and then we believe."

"First we have to believe, and then we believe."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

1

"In this business, life is one long fund-raising effort."

"In this business, life is one long fund-raising effort."

Alvin Ailey, American Dancer

Life, Business, Effort

1

"For me it was really important to get the essence out of the music for the story and not, sort of, press the music into the service of the whimsical telling of it."

"For me it was really important to get the essence out of the music for the story and not, sort of, press the music into the service of the whimsical telling of it."

Graeme Murphy, Australian Dancer

Music, Press, Service

1

"Dance is so joyous."

"Dance is so joyous."

Graeme Murphy, Australian Dancer

1

"You cannot be happy with your family while being personally unhappy with your work. It's a Catch-22 kind of thing."

"You cannot be happy with your family while being personally unhappy with your work. It's a Catch-22 kind of thing."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

Family, Work, Being

1

"Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can."

"Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

Men, Reason, Want

1

"Sometimes you feel bad about yourself when there's no reason to."

"Sometimes you feel bad about yourself when there's no reason to."

Alvin Ailey, American Dancer

1

"People of art should never get married and have children, because it's a selfish experience."

"People of art should never get married and have children, because it's a selfish experience."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

Art, Experience, People, Children

1

"To walk across the street is a risk."

"To walk across the street is a risk."

Mikhail Baryshnikov, American Dancer

1

"Success depends in a very large measure upon individual initiative and exertion, and cannot be achieved except by a dint of hard work."

"Success depends in a very large measure upon individual initiative and exertion, and cannot be achieved except by a dint of hard work."

Anna Pavlova, Russian Dancer

Success, Work, Hard work, Measure

1

"If you were black, you experienced prejudice. It wasn't a real horrible thing for us; we went through it. We noticed it mostly in the South and in Las Vegas, where we couldn't stay in the hotels where we entertained. But that began to change."

"If you were black, you experienced prejudice. It wasn't a real horrible thing for us; we went through it. We noticed it mostly in the South and in Las Vegas, where we couldn't stay in the hotels where we entertained. But that began to change."

Harold Nicholas, American Dancer

Change, Prejudice

1

"The body says what words cannot."

"The body says what words cannot."

Martha Graham, American Dancer

1

"Canadians are very proud of me, of my career."

"Canadians are very proud of me, of my career."

Karen Kain, Canadian Dancer

1

"I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely."

"I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely."

Josephine Baker, French Dancer

1

"If you live in the elite world of dance, you find yourself in a world rife with racism. Let's face it."

"If you live in the elite world of dance, you find yourself in a world rife with racism. Let's face it."

Alvin Ailey, American Dancer

Dance, Racism, World

1

"The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains."

"The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains."

Josephine Baker, French Dancer

1

bottom of page