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Gelsey Kirkland

Gelsey Kirkland Books

Ballerina

Gelsey Kirkland is a renowned ballerina, born on December 29, 1952. She gained fame for her exceptional skill and artistic expression in the 1970s and 1980s. Kirkland performed as a principal dancer in top ballet companies such as the New York City Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet, and her performances were highly praised by audiences and critics alike.

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Related Quotes

“Classical virtuosity is more than technique, line, proportion, and balance. It is as if the performer and spectator come together to hold in their hands a bird with a broken wing. The creature can be felt to stir, to struggle for freedom. Its life responds to human warmth; its wing might brush your check as it flies away.”

“Ballet is a riddle of means and ends.”

Mean Ends Dance Ballet Riddle

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“As unnatural as dancing is, you have to find a natural way to do the unnatural.”

Way Natural Dancing Dance Unnatural

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“I embarked on a risky course of plastic surgery and silicone injections, major dental realignments and gruesome medical procedures. I pray that young dancers, those who imitate me at their peril, will avoid this blind alley. It is more than a dead end; it is a dead beginning.”

Ends Young Courses Praying Majors Blind Medical Dancer Plastic Surgery Peril I Pray Procedures Alleys Plastic Surgery Dead Ends Dental Injection Medical Procedures

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“In saying my prayers, I discovered the voice of an innermost self, the raw nerve of my identity.”

Self Voice Prayer Identity Nerves

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“... each action taken in this world has its echo in the heart.”

World Heart Action Taken This World Echoes

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“I danced with passion to spite the music.”

Passion Dance Spite Ballet

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“When you are on stage you are having an affair with three thousand people.”

People Three Stage Thousand Dancing Dance Affair Just Dance Short Dance Dance Performance

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“The dance goes on forever. So shall I. So shall we.”

Forever Goes On Dance

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“The nature of my compulsion was such that I danced in my sleep. The entire household was sometimes awakened by loud thumping sounds coming from my room.”

Sometimes Sound Sleep Rooms Loud Household Compulsion Awakened

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“Fortunately for children, the uncertainties of the present always give way to the enchanted possibilities of the future.”

Way Giving Children Possibility Uncertainty Enchanted

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“Often, when you've reached a very high level of achievement, you almost become paralyzed by the idea that anything you might do might be imperfect. Perfection is just the striving, the effort, the struggle, but it's hard to remember that.”

Ideas Hard Might Remember Levels Effort Struggle Achievement Perfection Strive Imperfect High Level Paralyzed

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“As soon as you become afraid to make a fool of yourself, you're in trouble. I decided I may as well just see if I can live with myself making millions of mistakes and learn something from it.”

Ifs Wells May I Can Mistake Millions Trouble Fool Decided

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“The voices of moral authority in the theatre demanded only punctuality and physical performance. In the light of continuing pressure and stress, the occasional lip service paid to moderation was meaningless. Starvation and poisoning were not excesses, but measures taken to stay within the norm.”

“You've got to break through this idea of being light as a ballerina. The heavier you'll feel, the lighter you'll look.”

Feels Looks Ideas Light Break Lighters Break Through Ballerina

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“At this stage of my life I would rather try and have some small impact within a company and suffer through those things than make such a big stink that nobody can trust to work with you. It's very important in an environment of a big institution that people don't feel threatened that you're going to expose them in any way.”

People Way Feels Trying Important Bigs Suffering Company Environment Stage Institutions Impact Threatened Stink

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“I know my body. What happened is that I got so caught up in the applause I forgot how I should dance. All my life I've been what others wanted - in dancing and in life. Now I'm doing it my way.”

Knows Way Should Body Wanted Happened Dancing Caught My Way Caught Up Applause

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“The first year with ABT I learned 13 new roles. Most were lengthy ballets, more complicated than I was used to. I have suffered from tendinitis since I was 13, and it flared up again until the pain was paralyzing. There were times I prayed I'd be sick so I wouldn't have to go on.”

Years Firsts Pain Used Roles Goes On Sick Complicated Lengthy

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

“There was a stage when Balanchine and I didn't talk. I was trying to develop my classical technique as opposed to the fast-track technique that he was pushing. We were very quiet with each other. But after two years he saw what I was doing and sent messages through other people that, yes, this is good.”

People Trying Years Two Saws Stage Quiet Messages Track Technique Pushing Two Years

Author:Gelsey Kirkland

About the Author

Born: December 29, 1952
Known for: Ballerina
Quotes: 19

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