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August Bournonville Quotes

Ballet choreographer

August Bournonville, born on August 21, 1805 and died on November 30, 1879, was a renowned Danish ballet choreographer. His works had a profound impact on the development of Danish ballet, and he is hailed as the founder of Danish ballet.

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All Dance Art Ought Art Is Aspire Hands Height Joy Skills Ability Aids Appearance Artistic Astonishing Beautiful Calm Care Chains Character Chosen

Famous August Bournonville Quotes

“The beauty to which the Dance ought to aspire”

Ought Dance Aspire

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“The Dance is an art because it demands vocation, knowledge, and ability.”

Art Ability Demand Art Is Dance Vocation

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“It is a fine art because it strives for an ideal, not only in plastic but also in lyrical respect.”

Art Fine Art Is Ideals Dance Strive Plastic Strife Fine Arts Lyrical

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“The art of Mime encompasses all the feelings of the soul. The Dance, on the other hand, is essentially an expression of joy, a desire to follow the rhythms of the music.”

Art Soul Feelings Hands Joy Desire Expression Dance Rhythm Mime

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“Joy is a strength; intoxication, a weakness.”

Joy Weakness Dance Intoxication

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“The beautiful always retains the freshness of novelty, while the astonishing soon grow tiresome.”

Beautiful Grows Dance Novelty Astonishing Freshness Tiresome

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“The Dance can, with the aid of music, rise to the heights of poetry. On the other hand, through an excess of gymnastics it can also degenerate into buffoonery. So-called "difficult" feats can be executed by countless adepts, but the appearance of ease is achieved only by the chosen few.”

Hands Difficult Dance Appearance Aids Chosen Ease Height Excess Gymnastics Feats Degenerates

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“The height of artistic skill is to know how to conceal the mechanical effort and strain beneath harmonious calm.”

Knows Effort Know How Skills Dance Calm Artistic Height Strain Harmonious

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“Mannerism is not character, and affectation is the avowed enemy of grace. Every dancer ought to regard his laborious art as a link in the chain of beauty, as a useful ornament for the stage, and this, in turn, as an important element in the spiritual development of nations.”

Art Important Character Spiritual Turns Nations Enemy Grace Stage Development Ought Elements Regard Dance Chains Dancer Links Ornaments Spiritual Development Mannerisms

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

“It is not so much upon the number of exercises, as the care with which they are done, that progreses and skill depend.”

Done Care Numbers Depends Exercise Skills Dancing Dance Just Dance

Author:August Bournonville

“The beauty to which the Dance ought to aspire is not dependent upon taste or pleasure, but is founded on the immutable laws of Nature.”

Law Pleasure Ought Taste Dance Dependent Aspire Laws Of Nature

Book:My theatre life

Source: My theatre life

About the Author

Born: August 21, 1805
Died: November 30, 1879
Known for: Ballet choreographer
Quotes: 11

Books & Sources

My theatre lifeRelated source material

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