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People have asked me why I chose to be a dancer. I did not choose. I was chosen to be a dancer, and with that, you live all your life.
Martha Graham
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Being a dancer is not merely a choice; it is a calling that shapes one's entire life.

Martha Graham expresses that her journey as a dancer was not a conscious decision but rather a destiny that she embraced. This profound realization emphasizes the idea that true passion often finds us, and once we acknowledge it, it becomes an integral part of our existence, influencing every aspect of our lives.

Themes

DancePassionCallingArtDestiny

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech to aspiring artists, to illustrate the importance of following one's passion.

More from Martha Graham

The body says what words cannot.
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Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
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Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it.
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What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.
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No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a strange, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.
Martha GrahamRead
The body is your instrument in dance, but your art is outside that creature, the body.
Martha GrahamRead

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