QuoteProject
Dancing is very important to people who play music with a beat. I think that people who don't dance, or who never did dance, don't really understand the beat... I know musicians who don't and never did dance, and they have difficulty communicating.
Duke Ellington
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Dancing enhances the connection to music, especially for those who create it.

This quote by Duke Ellington emphasizes the intrinsic relationship between music and dance. He suggests that dancing is essential for musicians as it helps them fully grasp the rhythm and emotion of their own creations. Without the experience of dancing, musicians may struggle to communicate the essence of their music, as dance embodies the physical interpretation of a musical beat.

Themes

DanceMusicCommunicationRhythmLife

In practice

Example use cases

During a music festival, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of dancing in understanding the music.

More from Duke Ellington

I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
Duke EllingtonRead
Tomorrow is in the wings waiting for you to sound her entrance fanfare.
Duke EllingtonRead
There is no art without intention.
Duke EllingtonRead
There is nothing to keeping a band together. You simply have to have a gimmick, and the gimmick I use is to pay them money!
Duke EllingtonRead
Gray skies are just clouds passing over.
Duke EllingtonRead
Playing 'bop' is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
Duke EllingtonRead

Similar quotes

I realized what Led Zeppelin was about around the end of our first U.S. tour. We started off not even on the bill in Denver, and by the time we got to New York we were second to Iron Butterfly, and they didn't want to go on!
Robert PlantRead
People don't want rap to be anything other than it is. But genres expand. My contributions, no matter how they sound, will always be rap, because they'll always be black.
Chance The RapperRead
Garage rock is music for older people with young souls and young people with old souls. It's a certain sensibility, and you may have it when you're 17 or when you're 67.
Steven Van ZandtRead
I can't really say enough about Chris Potter. He is one of the greatest musicians I have ever known, and every second I have been on the band stand with him has been an absolute pleasure.
Pat MethenyRead
One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in words or have diametrically opposed views on hot-button issues, while the music sounds we can be at peace, we can be friends. The vibrations that fill an auditorium have no passports, and they unite ears when hearts may be divided.
Stephen HoughRead
There's something about pulling out a real tape from a shelf and looking at it and knowing that 'Everlong' is on it, or 'Best of You' is on it, and it's really special.
Dave GrohlRead

A little wisdom, now and then

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