The body says what words cannot.
Martha GrahamRead
The next time you look into the mirror, just look at the way the ears rest next to the head; look at the way the hairline grows; think of all the little bones in your wrist. It is a miracle. And the dance is a celebration of that miracle.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the beauty and complexity of the human body and the act of celebration through dance.
Martha Graham's quote encourages individuals to appreciate the intricate details of their own bodies, from the placement of the ears to the structure of the bones. It suggests that recognizing these miraculous aspects of ourselves can lead to a profound celebration of life and expression through art, particularly through dance.
In practice
In a dance class, to inspire students to appreciate their bodies.
The body says what words cannot.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it.
What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.
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.
The body is your instrument in dance, but your art is outside that creature, the body.
We write because we believe the human spirit cannot be tamed and should not be trained.
At every concert I leave a lot to the moment. I must have the unexpected, the unforeseen. I want to risk, to dare. I want to be surprised by what comes out. I want to enjoy it more than the audience. That way the music can bloom anew. It's like making love. The act is always the same, but each time it's different.
Poetry involves the mysteries of the irrational perceived through rational words.
I search for surprise in my architecture. A work of art should cause the emotion of newness.
Well, in the '80s and '70s, with the exception of Sidney Poitier and Brock Peters, maybe Ivan Dixon, if you were as big and black as I am, you were a bad guy. Simple. Because in real life, I scare people.
Musicals are plays, but the last collaborator is your audience, so you've got to wait 'til the last collaborator comes in before you can complete the collaboration.
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