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Twyla Tharp Quotes

Dancer

Twyla Tharp, born on July 1, 1941, is an outstanding American dancer, choreographer, and director. Her dance works are known for their unique style and innovative arrangements, which have had a profound impact on the development of modern dance.

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Famous Twyla Tharp Quotes

“I repeat the wake-up, the workout, the quick shower, the breakfast of three hard-boiled egg whites and a cup of coffee, the hour to make my morning calls and deal with correspondence, the two hours of stretching and working out ideas by myself in the studio ... That's my day, every day. A dancer's life is all about repetition.”

Source: The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

“Dancers are allowed, indeed encouraged, to remain children forever.”

Children Forever Dance Dancer

Book:Push Comes to Shove

Source: Push Comes to Shove

“Modern dancers should be doing things no one else is doing, and it should come from the gut.”

Should Modern Dancer Guts

Author:Twyla Tharp

“I was interested in becoming a show dancer, for which I tried, but I'm not tall enough.”

Enough Shows Becoming Dancer Tall

Author:Twyla Tharp

“A lot of people insisted on a wall between modern dance and ballet, that the two disciplines were totally separate, and if you did one, you couldn’t do the other. I’m beginning to think that walls are very unhealthy things.”

People Thinking Modern Wall Dance Dancer Ballet Unhealthy Ballet Dancer Modern Dance

Author:Twyla Tharp

“In those days, male dancers were a rarer breed than women. as they are still today, A good male dancer, one as strong as we were, was very difficult to come by if you couldn't afford to pay them.”

Ifs Stills Today Strong Difficult Pay Males Dancer Strong Women

Author:Twyla Tharp

“It was not until I had graduated from college that I made a professional commitment to it. Frankly, I didn't think it wise. I was my own interior parental force, and it's very difficult to justify a profession as a dancer.”

Thinking Made Force Difficult My Own Wise College Commitment Profession Dancer Justify Interiors Parental

Author:Twyla Tharp

“Dancing is like bank robbery, it takes split-second timing.”

Dancing Dance Dancer Splits Timing Just Dance Robbery Short Dance Bank Robbery

Author:Twyla Tharp

“I also had a will that let me eliminate everything that stood in the way of my becoming the best dancer I could be. By a gradual process... (I) had invested every bit of my dreams, my hopes, my energies in defining myself as a dancer.”

Way Dream Energy Bits Process Becoming Let Me Dance Dancer Defining Becoming The Best Defining Myself

Book:Push Comes to Shove

Source: Push Comes to Shove

“It's very difficult to justify a profession as a dancer.”

Difficult Dance Profession Dancer Justify

Author:Twyla Tharp

“A dancer's life is all about repetition.”

Life Is Dancer Repetition Boiled Eggs

Book:The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

Source: The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

“I walk into a large white room. It's a dance studio in midtown Manhattan. The room is clean, virtually spotless if you don’t count the thousands of skid marks and footprints left there by dancers rehearsing. Other than the mirrors, the boom box, the skid marks, and me, the room is empty.”

Ifs Left White Walks Rooms Empty Mark Mirrors Clean Boxes Studios Dancer Manhattan Footprint Rehearsing

Book:The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

Source: The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

About the Author

Born: July 1, 1941
Known for: Dancer
Quotes: 210

Books & Sources

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for LifeRelated source material

Push Comes to ShoveRelated source material

The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working TogetherRelated source material

Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your LifeRelated source material

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