Other dances are like languages, like French or Spanish, but my steps are slang, and slang is always changing.
Savion GloverRead
There are many different styles of, and approaches to, tap. My own leans towards a more intellectual view: tap dancing not just for the sake of entertainment but to educate and spark emotion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Tap dancing goes beyond mere performance; it serves to educate and evoke feelings.
In this quote, Savion Glover emphasizes that tap dancing can be more than just a form of entertainment; it can be a profound medium that educates its audience and elicits deep emotional responses. He advocates for a thoughtful approach to tap dance, where the artistry involved not only delights but also conveys messages and enhances understanding.
Themes
Tap DancingEducationEmotionArtistryPerformance
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a workshop to inspire dancers to think about the deeper meanings behind their art.
More from Savion Glover
All quotes →Just like a comedian has a certain joke or a jazz musician has a riff that they know will get the crowd, a tap dancer always has a step.
Savion GloverRead
For me, the importance in learning about the dance is using it as a voice. It's not about a step, it's about a way to express oneself.
Savion GloverRead
I can produce any instrument, any sound that I can imagine; it may be percussive to the audience, but in my mind it may be a piano, a melody, or a tuba, or a harp, or a harmonica. My mission is to allow people to hear the dance in its purity and up against any other type of sound or music.
Savion GloverRead
I'm happy that people think of me as the greatest tap-dancer that ever lived. But it's just a rumor. Because the greatest dancer that ever lived knows everything, and I don't. I'm still learning. I still have a lot of work to do.
Savion GloverRead
My mom couldn't afford dance shoes, so she put me in these old cowboy boots with a hard bottom so I could get some sound out. I used them for seven months. When I finally got real tap shoes, I was nervous. I kept moving my feet, thinking, 'Oh, so this is how it's supposed to sound.'
Savion GloverRead
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