QuoteProject
The defect in wisdom and taste which exists among the majority of dancers is due to the bad education which they generally receive. They apply themselves only to the material side of their art, they learn to jump more or less high, they strive mechanically to execute a number of steps, and like children, who utter a great many words devoid of sense and relation, they execute many phrases of steps devoid of taste and grace.
Jean-Georges Noverre
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the importance of proper education in dance, emphasizing that many dancers focus only on physical skills instead of the artistry and grace involved.

Jean-Georges Noverre critiques the education system for dancers, asserting that many of them lack true wisdom and artistic taste due to inadequate training. He asserts that dancers often emphasize technical skills, such as jumping and executing steps, without understanding the deeper artistic expression and grace required in dance. This results in a mechanical performance that lacks the beauty and emotional connection of true artistry.

Themes

DanceEducationWisdomArtistryTaste

In practice

Example use cases

In a dance workshop, an instructor might cite this quote to emphasize the need for artistic expression over mere technical ability.

More from Jean-Georges Noverre

It is shameful that dancing should renounce the empire it might assert over the mind and only endeavor to please the sight.
Jean-Georges NoverreRead

Similar quotes

If you are killed because you are a writer, that's the maximum expression of respect, you know.
Mario Vargas LlosaRead
Your job is to get your audience to care about your obsessions.
Martin ScorseseRead
Films that are entertainments give simple answers but I think that's ultimately more cynical, as it denies the viewer room to think. If there are more answers at the end, then surely it is a richer experience.
Michael HanekeRead
I mean by a picture a beautiful romantic dream of something that never was, never will be - in a light better than any light that ever shone - in a land no one can define, or remember, only desire
Edward Burne-JonesRead
Writing! The activity for which the only adequate bribe is the possibility of suicide, one day.
Joyce Carol OatesRead
At first blush I am tempted to conclude that a satisfactory hobby must be in large degree useless, inefficient, laborious, or irrelevant.
Aldo LeopoldRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.