The body says what words cannot.
Martha GrahamRead
Dancing is a very living art. It is essentially of the moment, although a very old art. A dancer's art is lived while he is dancing. Nothing is left of his art except the pictures and the memories--when his dancing days are over.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Dancing is a fleeting yet profound expression of life and creativity.
In this quote, Martha Graham emphasizes the ephemeral nature of dance as an art form that is experienced in the present moment. She suggests that while dancing captures the essence of life and emotion, it ultimately exists only in memories and images once the dancer has completed their performance, highlighting the transient beauty and significance of artistic expression.
Themes
DanceArtMemoryExpressionMoment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of living in the moment.
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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