I wanted to be Stan Laurel, then I wanted to be Fred Astaire and then Captain Kangaroo. I actually started out as a radio announcer when I was 17 and never left the business so that's literally 70 years.
Dick Van DykeRead
I didn't even start dancing until I was in my thirties, and it was like flying.
Interpretation
It's never too late to pursue your passions and find joy in new experiences.
Dick Van Dyke emphasizes that despite starting something as challenging as dancing later in life, the joy and freedom it brings can be immensely rewarding. His experience serves as a reminder that one's age should not limit personal growth and exploration of new interests, illustrating the beauty of late discoveries and the uplifting feeling of doing what you love.
In practice
This quote could be shared at a dance workshop to inspire those hesitant to start.
I wanted to be Stan Laurel, then I wanted to be Fred Astaire and then Captain Kangaroo. I actually started out as a radio announcer when I was 17 and never left the business so that's literally 70 years.
I get little kids who recognize me from 'Mary Poppins,' and it just delights me because it's our third generation.
Just knowing you don't have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn - and those are all good things.
I never had a lot of drive, but because I had family responsibilities, I had a lot of tenacity - the tenacity of a drowning man.
Somebody asked what I wanted on my gravestone. I'm just going to put: 'Glad I Could Help.'
I was lucky to get the kinds of parts I wanted. I always said I didn't want to do anything my kids can't see.
He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.
The French say you get hungry when youβre eating, and I get inspired when Iβm working. Itβs my engine.
My characters hope for better lives.
For me at age 11, I had a pair of binoculars and looked up to the moon, and the moon wasn't just bigger, it was better. There were mountains and valleys and craters and shadows. And it came alive.
God's grace is painted on the canvas of despair.
Same with anyone who's been flying for years and loves it still... we're part of a world we deeply love. Just as musicians feel about scores and melodies, dancers about the steps and flow of music, so we're one with the principle of flight, the magic of being aloft in the wind!
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