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To me, this acquirement of nervous, physical, and emotional concentration is the one element possessed to the highest degree by the truly great dancers of the world. Its acquirement is the result of discipline, of energy in the deep sense. That is why there are so few great dancers.
Martha Graham
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Great dancers achieve a unique level of concentration through discipline and energy.

Martha Graham emphasizes that the highest caliber of dancers embodies intense nervous, physical, and emotional concentration, which is fundamental to their craft. This level of mastery does not happen by chance; it is cultivated through rigorous discipline and an intrinsic energy, which is why truly great dancers are rare.

Themes

DanceConcentrationDisciplineEnergyGreatness

In practice

Example use cases

In a dance class when discussing the importance of focus.

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