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.
But you can't muscle through a five-hour run that way; you have to relax into it like easing your body into a hot bath, until it no longer resists the shock and begins to enjoy it.
A positive attitude will have positive results because attitudes are contagious.
Always focus on your effort, instead of the results of that effort.
Don't wait till you're older, or in some better job than you have now. Don't wait for anything. Don't wait till some magical...idea drops into your lap. That's not where ideas come from. Go looking for an idea and it'll show up. Begin now.
I know I'm good enough. I don't need to show it to you. Either you know who I am, or you don't.
If you knew that miracles could happen, what miracles would you wish for? If you knew that you could have it all and do anything you wanted, what would you choose to have and what would you choose to do?
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