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It is shameful that dancing should renounce the empire it might assert over the mind and only endeavor to please the sight.
Jean-Georges Noverre
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Dance should engage the mind as well as please the eyes.

In this quote, Noverre critiques the superficial approach to dance that focuses only on visual beauty, suggesting that dance should also stimulate thought and emotion. He advocates for a deeper connection between the dancer and the audience, emphasizing that the true power of dance lies in its ability to convey complex ideas and feelings, rather than merely being a visual spectacle.

Themes

DanceArtExpressionEmotionMind

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech about the importance of art in education, this quote can highlight the multi-dimensional nature of dance.

More from Jean-Georges Noverre

The defect in wisdom and taste which exists among the majority of dancers is due to the bad education which they generally receive. They apply themselves only to the material side of their art, they learn to jump more or less high, they strive mechanically to execute a number of steps, and like children, who utter a great many words devoid of sense and relation, they execute many phrases of steps devoid of taste and grace.
Jean-Georges NoverreRead

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