The body says what words cannot.
Martha GrahamRead
Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.
Interpretation
Great dancers succeed not just through skill but through their deep love for dance.
This quote emphasizes that the true essence of greatness in dance comes from an individualβs passion rather than solely their technical skills. Passion fuels creativity, dedication, and the ability to connect emotionally with the audience, making it a crucial element of artistry.
In practice
In a dance competition, a judge reflected on how passion shines through performances.
The body says what words cannot.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it.
What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.
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.
The body is your instrument in dance, but your art is outside that creature, the body.
I don't think it's about playing and singing, to be honest. That seems like old news, you know? I wasn't thinking about that. I just think that's in my body now. Dancers don't think about their legs moving one way and their arms moving another. Over time, you incorporate that into your instrument.
It hardly seems worthwhile to point out the shortsightedness of those practitioners who would have us believe that the form of the poem is merely its shape.
Don't play the notes. Play the meaning of the notes.
One has to guard against a formula that is good for everything, that can interpret reality in addition to the other arts, and that rather than creating can only result in a style, or a stylization.
I find campfire stories and urban legends are kind of the bread and butter that inspires a lot of people who are making horror and thriller. There is a nugget of truth behind these sort of cautionary tales.
That the best piece of art a person is capable of making is the one that only they could create.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.