The body says what words cannot.
Martha GrahamRead
At the time I started in ballet they were dancing 'The Spirit of Champagne' on pointe, in Paris. I thought, 'I don't want to dance the spirit of champagne, I want to drink it!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses a desire to experience life fully rather than merely perform its elements.
Martha Graham's quote reflects the sentiment of pursuing genuine experiences instead of just mimicking or performing roles. She emphasizes a yearning for authenticity and true enjoyment of life, suggesting that it's more fulfilling to engage deeply with life's pleasures than to merely dance around them.
Themes
BalletExperienceLifeAuthenticityEnjoyment
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech on embracing life, one might use this quote to inspire the audience to seek genuine experiences.
More from Martha Graham
All quotes →Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Martha GrahamRead
Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it.
Martha GrahamRead
What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.
Martha GrahamRead
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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