Dancing requires strength, discipline, and dedication, but above all, it thrives on passion and motivation. Whether you're a dancer yourself or simply appreciate the art and cultural richness, exploring the words of legendary dancers and thinkers offers a glimpse into the cultural richness and transformative power of dance. Throughout history, dance has shaped and been shaped by societies, embodying movement, emotion, and artistic expression. Let these inspiring quotes fuel your passion and remind you why dance continues to captivate hearts across generations. Ready to be inspired? Dive into our collection of the most powerful quotes about dancing!
1. William W. Purkey
You have to dance as if there were no one watching you, love as though you have never been hurt, sing as if there is no one listening to you, and live as if this were heaven on earth.
William W. Purkey, Author
You could say that William W. Purkey knows a bit about motivation!
This American author specializes in self-confidence, a crucial factor in relaxing and trusting his body to the rhythm of music. Dance, love, sing, and live: those are four essential ingredients to achieve happiness in life and through the performing arts!
2. Samuel Beckett
Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order.
Samuel Beckett, Irish playwright and poet
Dancing helps you get out of your head. In many places in the world, individuals and even entire communities process grief, anxiety, and other difficult emotions through dance. They also use dance as a physical expression for things like the elation of the birth of a baby, a marriage, the coming of the annual rains, and general celebrations.
Use dance as a way to get out of your head, express the types of feelings that you don't have or need words for, and feel better after everything has been shaken loose.
3. Friedrich Nietzsche
We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once.
Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher and critic
This renowned German philosopher seemed to have an immoderate penchant for the art of dance.
Nietzsche puts forth the need for a dance enthusiast to practice the art every day. To move from a beginner or intermediate level to an advanced level – or just for fitness' sake, consider executing a few dance steps every day!
Discover some of the best music and songs to dance to, so you can get your daily dose of dance!
4. Ted Shawn
Dance is the only art of which we ourselves are the stuff of which it is made.
Ted Shawn, American dancer and choreographer
There is art all around: in the sky, in the mountains, in animals and plants; in architecture and paintings, sculptures and statues, clothing and jewelry. But dance is in its own category.
Even music, the kind made with voices and clapping hands rather than external instruments, can be created synthetically with recorded sounds (though that may lack the depth of soul). Dance is, to an observer, something that cannot be artificially created. To the dancer, there is no substitute for being the one to move and experience the act of dance.
5. H. P. Lovecraft
Almost nobody dances sober unless they happen to be insane.
H.P. Lovecraft, American writer
What would dance be without a grain of madness? An emblematic figure in fantasy literature, Lovecraft found in dance a way to express his inner madness. To free oneself from one's shackles is the whole point of dance!
By falling outside of prescribed lines, dance students will be able to improve their musical improvisation and even create their own choreographic sequences.
Sign up for ballroom dance lessons here on Superprof.
6. Martha Graham
Have you intuited a difference between the personality of a dancer and his behavior on stage?
For many choreographers, dance is a tool to reveal personality – to go beyond shyness and anxiety. Get ready to reinvent yourself once you've hit the dance floor!
7. Martha Graham, Again
Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.
Martha Graham, American dancer and choreographer
Do you find these dance quotes inspirational? Martha Graham is one of the most celebrated dancers in modern history.
Shyness is a trait of character that prevents many of us from just getting up and dancing.
No one will judge you, whether you're a beginner in dance class or with a dance association: the goal at that stage is to build self-confidence so you can become a great dancer.
As your lessons in group dance progress, you will be able to let go of those inhibitions and finally reveal your inner talent!
8. Albert Einstein
Dancers are the athletes of God.
Albert Einstein, Theoretical physicist
If one of the greatest minds of this contemporary era says so, it must be true!
Being both an art and a sport in its own right, dance intrigues with its originality and eccentricity.
According to Einstein, this dual status would make dance an almost divine activity. Are you ready to take your place in the Hall of Fame of dancers?
9. Molière
Music and dance are two arts that have a close relationship.
Molière, French playwright
In addition to being a connoisseur of the theater, Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin, AKA Molière, particularly appreciated the art of dance.
And he should know: this illustrious figure of French culture invented the comedy-ballet genre to satisfy the king!
Since dance and music are closely related, Molière was accompanied by the greatest musicians of the time, such as Jean-Baptiste Lully.
Why not learn to dance to your favorite music?
10. Voltaire
This quotation seems ironic, seeing as both literature and dance famously suffered censorship by French royalty leading up to the French Revolution.
Perhaps his expressed sentiment reflects those constraints?
Voltaire's ideas were radical and revolutionary for the time, directly contributing to a cultural shift in the masses. Eventually, their intolerance for injustice reached its peak, and they revolted against the aristocracy.
He is remembered today for his contributions to free speech and reason, including championing the right for every person to enjoy art, music, and dance.
Through literature and dance, the spirit can be liberated. Today, the neophytes of dance can practice their art freely: have fun in the friendly atmosphere of private dance lessons!
Discover where to take dance classes near me.
11. Hans Bos
While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole.
Hans Bos, Dutch biochemist
Are dance and happiness two sides of the same coin?
According to an Australian survey conducted in 2014, the dancers' welfare index was pegged at 77, while that of non-dancers topped out at only 74.
It would seem that dancers are happier than their non-dancing counterparts, especially thanks to a healthy lifestyle and the practice of a liberating activity. You now know the recipe for happiness: get dancing!
12. George Bernard Shaw
Dance is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire, made legal by music.
George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright and critic
Dancing is one of the most sensual activities possible, in certain contexts. Plenty of dances are entirely chaste and suitable for everyone, and hardly any dance style could be misconstrued as overly provocative without reason.
But when a dancer or pair of dancers knows how to explore the sensual side of their art, the sparks fly.
Some types of dances, such as Latin dances (Salsa, Tango, Mambo, Merengue, Rumba...), are especially recommended for getting closer to your dance partner.
Learn how to express yourself with hip hop dance classes here on Superprof.
13. Hervé Kay
You can dance anywhere; that's the beauty of dance.
Hervé Kay
The advantage of learning to dance? The possibility of exercising this art in a dance studio, but also at home, in a dance club, or even during a dance party.
Dance has few limits: as a rule, it is not obligatory to own tons of sports equipment to work on its movements.
Some dance styles, such as ballroom dancing, such as the slow Waltz, Viennese Waltz, polka, jig, and others, require only a good pair of shoes. You can even do pole dancing classes.
Why not make your life a perpetual exercise in choreography!
14. Maurice Béjart
For me, to enter into motion is to enter into meditation.
Maurice Béjart, French dancer and choreographer
An illustrious dancer and choreographer, Maurice Béjart contributed to the birth of modern dance in France.
If, for him, dancing is tantamount to meditating, it must also be the case for many novice or professional dancers.
There are even meditation dance styles inspired by traditional dances, specially designed to revive the dialogue between body and mind.
Discover the many different dance styles that allow deep emotional expressions in the dancers.
15. Paulo Coelho
Dance enthusiasts can afford the luxury of revealing themselves through their art!
Many psychologists claim that the body possesses its own intelligence, reflecting the true personality of a dancer. Dancing allows you to pass on a message and express feelings such as joy, anger, or frustration.
If you can't say it, you can express it through movement to music!
16. William Stafford
Kids: they dance before they learn that there is anything that isn't music.
William Stafford, Poet
Unlike adults, younger people tend not to sense the weight of others' eyes on them, and never hesitate to sketch a few completely uninhibited dance steps.
To keep your passion for dancing and perhaps become a famous choreographer someday, why not take children's and teen classes in dance?
17. George de Cuevas
I believe that dance always contains four arts: music, choreography, painting, and literature.
George de Cuevas, Chilean ballet impresario and choreographer
Students at music and dance conservatories will tell you: to study dance in depth, it is unthinkable to neglect the other arts.
Expressed in painting (notably by Edgar Degas), in literature (famously by Noel Streatfeild), or in music, dance inspires many artists.
Immersing yourself in music or literature allows you to learn more about the history of the art of dance and to integrate into a prestigious dance school.
Discover which styles of dance you can choose from when learning dance as an artistic pursuit, and which ones translate well to practical applications like exercise, too.
18. Paul Valéry
This celebration of the body, a feast before our souls, offers light and joy.
Paul Valéry, French poet and essayist
Dance is synonymous with cheerfulness and enthusiasm!
Taking dance lessons allows you to communicate your good mood with other dancers and experience a de-stressing and positive moment.
The joy of dancing touches even animals! In June 2017, after trying the break dance a few years earlier, Zola the gorilla invented a dance of joy, provoking great happiness for millions of Internet users!
The origin of the word "ballet" is actually Greek! It comes from "ballizein," which then became the Latin "ballare," then in the 1660s, French "ballette" and Italian "balletto." It's also where the word "ball" as in "ballroom" originates.
19. Erol Ozan
Dancing is creating a sculpture that is visible only for the moment.
Erol Ozan, Author
To learn dance as taught in conservatories, neophytes of the art must ponder every movement and position their body correctly.
Indeed, dance consists of a multitude of moments: each movement must therefore be reflected to create a complete picture. By mastering fundamental techniques and basic moves, it will be easier to become versatile and master several dances!
20. Jane Austen
To be fond of dancing was a certain step toward falling in love.
Jane Austen, Novelist
If anyone knows romance, it's Jane Austen!
This English author puts her finger on a primordial aspect of dance: love. Her contribution to short dance quotes highlights the emotional aspect of learning to dance.
Many dance partners have fallen in love during their training sessions.
The art of dance is simply very personal, vulnerable, and intense, leading many practitioners to fall in love with others who understand the art, or even the art itself.
The best-known contemporary example would be that of Natalie Portman, who married the French dancer Benjamin Millepied after their work together on the famous 2010 dance film "Black Swan."
21. Anna Pavlova
As Anna Pavlova says, dance is first and foremost a question of passion.
What if you became one of the best dancers in history?
However, passion for dance is not reserved for the elite. Some do not discover their artistic inclination until very late, while others fall in love with dance while admiring a great dancer. We could all become great dance professionals; we only need to get started!
22. Amélie Nothomb
No one occupies the totality of his body as great dancers do.
Amélie Nothomb, Belgian novelist
Dance class is a golden opportunity to reconcile yourself with your body and improve your self-esteem.
Professional dancers will tell you: no one knows their body better than a dancer.
Undertaking the quest to move your body to the beat of the music and your own soul is a spiritual and artistic experience nobody but a dancer can understand.
23. Constanze Mozart
Dancing is like dreaming with your feet!
Constanze Mozart, wife of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
So enthralled by her husband's music was Constanze that she is said to have exclaimed this profoundly simple and joy-filled dance quote.
As we grow older, it can become harder to simply enjoy a moment, be present, and nurture a childlike attitude. Music and dance are a wonderful remedy to the dredge of daily life. Its ability to wake up the sense of excitement and wonder inside a person should not be forgotten!
24. Agnes De Mille
To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.
Agnes De Mille, American dancer and choreographer
Like many thorough experiences, dancers can go through many feelings and emotions during their dancing. The meditative aspect of some dances may cause more feelings of being part of the world as a whole. The technical dances requiring more quick thinking might make dancers feel more fluent in their bodies.
In all styles of dance, it's possible to feel both extremely comfortable and present in your own body, and simultaneously feel like a perfect, natural inclusion in the world as a whole. Feeling that connection with a "higher" plane can certainly be a life-changing experience for dancers.
Discover the attitude, education, and life story of the best dancers in history.
25. Rumi
Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you’re perfectly free.
Rumi, Persian poet and Sufi mystic
Rumi's eternal wisdom has been inspiring people for centuries. The bottom line of his deep, philosophical waxing is: dance even when you don't feel like dancing.
Use dance as medicine to heal your emotional and physical wounds. Dance to overcome hardship. Dance even when, by all means, you don't seem to have a reason. Remember: dance is not only an act of happiness, and it isn't meant to only be used in good times.
Dance through the painful moments, and then you'll find yourself dancing in freedom. Even then, don't forget your medicine and teacher: dance.
Did you know that certified dance teachers take courses in body anatomy and physiology to best guide students during their acquaintanceship with their body?
By controlling every muscle in your body, you will be able to become a great dancer and perform complex physical moves, like the ground barre: floor exercises mimicking barre work, or even doing the splits.
Now that you are motivated, move on to practice by taking a special dance course with one of our Superprof personal dance instructors!
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