Dance Perfection Quotes

When Fred Astaire danced, everything in this world was perfect.

Dancers are always striving for perfection. A great dancer never achieves it: you always want to do another turn, a higher jumpa, more difficult acrobatic jump.

Fine dancing, I believe, like virtue, must be its own reward.

My goal was to become the best dancer in the world and, because I started late, I always had this feeling I was playing catch-up, so I've been a bit of a maniac most of my life, sort of striving.

If anyone is calling me to choreograph a dance, they know my style, and they know I am a taskmaster. They want to present themselves as a good dancer before their fans, and that is why they want me to choreograph.

If one had to define one essential gift with which a dancer needs to be endowed, there might be a rush of answers. A beautiful body, grace of line, graciousness of spirit, joy in the work, ability to please, unswerving integrity, relentless ambition towards some abstract perfection. Certainly all these factors determine a dancer's character, and every element exists in some combination within the performing artist's presence.

When Michael Jackson sings it is with the voice of angels, and when his feet move, you can see God dancing.

In general, for me, a big thing in my life has been just sort of learning what true self-esteem is and what true positive self-image is. And being a dancer, and growing up in that world, you're so focused on yourself, and you're so focused on achieving goals, on finding perfection, and working on your craft.

When I am asked about influences, I always say I bow down to Fred Astaire, because when you look at him dancing you never look at his extremities, do you? You look at his centre. What you never see is the hours of work that went into the routines, you just see the breathtaking spirit and freedom.

It takes time to get a dance right, to create something memorable.

No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all should have been in another business.

I'm not a very good dancer. My feet don't point far enough; my extension is embarrassing. Dance, for me, has been hard because it's a strive for perfection.

Dancers, many dancers today can do so much technically. You can give them steps that are complicated, then more complicated, pyrotechnical - and they can execute these steps to perfection. But to do simple steps with a pure classical line, that is truly difficult.

Most dancers are less eccentric than driven. It starts young. When other kids are at the playground, we're in the studio, endlessly drilling jumps and adjusting our socks.

Evolved? As a dancer? Me? I don’t fall down as much, unless it’s part of the scripted dance. I don’t step on other people’s toes anymore. I think if I started the show a one out of ten dancer, now I am a two and a half.