It took, for me, a long time to develop this idea of what to do on the radio. But from the beginning of my time in radio, I had pretty non-traditional tasks.
Ira GlassRead
Honestly, I am so ignorant of how dance works that I can't even imagine a story that you would want to tell through movement.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a lack of understanding about the storytelling aspect of dance as an art form.
Ira Glass expresses his deep ignorance regarding the nuances of dance as a medium for storytelling. He acknowledges that he cannot conceive of the narratives that might be conveyed through movement, which highlights the complexities and artistic depth often found in dance that may go unnoticed by those unfamiliar with the discipline. This statement invites reflection on the importance and richness of different art forms, and how they can communicate ideas and emotions in unique ways.
Themes
DanceArtStorytellingMovementIgnoranceExpression
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a dance workshop to encourage participants to explore their own storytelling through movement.
More from Ira Glass
All quotes →At some point, all comics have to go out and be retail salesmen doing door-to-door. And this idea of somebody who totally knows their craft having to get up for free in front of a crowd to work out some stuff they're thinking in their head, still, after as much success as you can get, is really interesting.
Ira GlassRead
I think good radio often uses the techniques of fiction: characters, scenes, a big urgent emotional question. And as in the best fiction, tone counts for a lot.
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It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.
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It's hard to make something that's interesting. It's really, really hard. It's like a law of nature, a law of aerodynamics, that anything that's written or anything that's created wants to be mediocre. The natural state of all writing is mediocrity... So what it takes to make anything more than mediocre is such an act of will.
Ira GlassRead
I wish that someone had said to me that it's normal to feel lost for a little while.
Ira GlassRead
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