The body says what words cannot.
Martha GrahamRead
A dancer must listen to his body and pay homage to it. Behind the movement lies this terrible, driving passion, this necessity. I won't settle for anything less.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the deep connection and respect a dancer must have for their own body in the creative process.
Martha Graham highlights the essential relationship between a dancer and their body, suggesting that true expression in dance comes from an intense and passionate understanding of one's own physicality. This quote reveals the dedication and commitment required to achieve artistic excellence, as well as the idea that a dancer's movement is fueled by a profound inner necessity that goes beyond mere technical skill.
Themes
DanceBodyPassionArtMovement
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can inspire dancers during rehearsals to connect deeply with their movements.
More from Martha Graham
All quotes →Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Martha GrahamRead
Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it.
Martha GrahamRead
What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.
Martha GrahamRead
No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a strange, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
Martha GrahamRead
The body is your instrument in dance, but your art is outside that creature, the body.
Martha GrahamRead
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