I also had a will that let me eliminate everything that stood in the way of my becoming the best dancer I could be. By a gradual process... (I) had invested every bit of my dreams, my hopes, my energies in defining myself as a dancer.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of determination and commitment in achieving one's goals, particularly in the arts.
Twyla Tharp reflects on her unwavering dedication to becoming a skilled dancer, highlighting how her strong will allowed her to remove obstacles in her path. Through a gradual and intentional process, she invested her dreams, hopes, and energy to define her identity as a dancer, showcasing that success in any field requires both passion and perseverance.
In practice
In a motivational speech about pursuing dreams, this quote can inspire aspiring artists.
Do I watch dancers as people? Yes, absolutely. Do I watch really good dancers for specifically who they are? Absolutely, because how they move best and how they look best is going to be most familiar to them, and not necessarily to me.
I am still pushing the edge of what my body can do.
No one is born with skill. It is developed through exercise, through repetition, through a blend of learning and reflection that's both painstaking and rewarding. And it takes time.
Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft. Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave you eager but floundering. Combining the two is the essence of the creative life.
I grew up in a drive-in theater, from the time I was 8, working in a snack bar watching four features every week. It was silent theater in the sense that this was a drive-in, which meant that I often saw the films going with no sound. But I learned to tell stories through action.
Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft.
It's not the cards that you have all the time that makes you a winner or a loser.
Maybe if I didn't have the talent in chess I'd find the talent in something else. The only thing I know is that I have talent in chess, and I'm satisfied with that.
Without new ideas success can become stale
I struggled for a while, but when I was cast in an Off Broadway show called 'Once Upon a Mattress,' that kind of put me on the map.
I don't consider myself to be a major talent, so the only solace I can take is to hope I'm growing.
Months of preparation, one of those few opportunities, and the judgment of a split second are what makes some pilot an ace, while others think back on what they could have done.
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