Good art theory must smell of the studio, although its language should differ from the household talk of painters and sculptors.
Rudolf ArnheimRead
The dance, just as the performance of the actor, is kinesthetic art, art of the muscle sense. The awareness of tension and relaxation within his own body, the sense of balance that distinguishes the proud stability of the vertical from the risky adventures of thrusting and falling--these are the tools of the dancer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Dance is a physical expression that relies on the awareness of one's body and its movements.
Rudolf Arnheim highlights that dance, like acting, is a physical art form that requires the dancer to be acutely aware of their body's movements, balance, and the interplay of tension and relaxation. This awareness is essential for the graceful execution of dance, which is characterized by both stability and dynamic movement.
Themes
DanceArtAwarenessBodyPerformance
In practice
Example use cases
In a dance class, the instructor could use this quote to emphasize the importance of body awareness.
More from Rudolf Arnheim
All quotes →Nothing is more humbling than to look with a strong magnifying glass at an insect so tiny that the naked eye sees only the barest speck and to discover that nevertheless it is sculpted and articulated and striped with the same care and imagination.
Rudolf ArnheimRead
Once it is recognized that productive thinking in any area of cognition is perceptual thinking, the central function of art in general education will become evident.
Rudolf ArnheimRead
Man's striving for order, of which art is but one manifestation, derives from a similar universal tendency throughout the organic world; it is also paralleled by, and perhaps derived from, the striving towards the state of simplest structure in physical systems.
Rudolf ArnheimRead
The arts are neglected because they are based on perception, and perception is disdained because it is not assumed to involve thought.
Rudolf ArnheimRead
Variety is more than a means of avoiding boredom, since art is more than an entertainment of the senses.
Rudolf ArnheimRead
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