The necessity to constantly turn in an excellent performance, to be absolutely wedded to this dedication and this ideal means that as a child you're going to pay for it personally.
Interpretation
Achieving excellence requires a strong commitment that may come at a personal cost.
Twyla Tharp emphasizes that the pursuit of excellence in any endeavor, particularly in one’s craft, demands unwavering dedication and commitment. However, this relentless drive can often lead to personal sacrifices, especially during formative years, where the focus on achieving high standards may overshadow other important aspects of life.
In practice
In a motivational speech to young athletes, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of dedication in achieving their goals.
Do I watch dancers as people? Yes, absolutely. Do I watch really good dancers for specifically who they are? Absolutely, because how they move best and how they look best is going to be most familiar to them, and not necessarily to me.
I am still pushing the edge of what my body can do.
No one is born with skill. It is developed through exercise, through repetition, through a blend of learning and reflection that's both painstaking and rewarding. And it takes time.
Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft. Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave you eager but floundering. Combining the two is the essence of the creative life.
I grew up in a drive-in theater, from the time I was 8, working in a snack bar watching four features every week. It was silent theater in the sense that this was a drive-in, which meant that I often saw the films going with no sound. But I learned to tell stories through action.
Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft.
You either commit yourself as a professional racing driver that's designed to win races or you come second or you come third or fifth and am not design to come third, fourth or fifth, I race to win.
Only when a man will not do some things is he capable of doing great things.
What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.
There are always limits, and opportunities. The ones we rehearse and focus on are the ones that shape our future.
I would have dreams all the time about me playing in the NFL. Every day I woke up, I said to myself, you know, I'm going to work hard, you know, this day to get to that next level.
To really be conscious of how long the journey is, be patient, push yourself, persevere, and always be working on your craft while waiting for your break. That's what I'm still working on, having done this for 20 years now.
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