--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modern dancers give a sinister portent…" description: "\"Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times.\" — Agnes de Mille" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/agnes-de-mille-14468_dance_modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-a_349919.png" --- # Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times. ![“Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times.” quote by Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/agnes-de-mille-14468_dance_modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-a_349919.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/agnes-de-mille-14468_dance_modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-a_349919.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/agnes-de-mille-14468_dance_modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-a_349919.png) > “Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times.” [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern dance reflects societal anxieties, acting as a warning sign for contemporary issues. **In simple terms:** Dance can signal troubling times. Key Takeaway Pay attention to artistic warnings. Themes art society warning modernism culture Mood thoughtful analytical Type critical observational When to use this quote - theatre productions - public art - media analysis - urban planning Key Concepts Cultural critique symbolism social commentary Questions to Reflect On - What current events does modern dance echo? - How can art influence public perception? A Different Perspective Interpretations may vary widely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancers/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times. The dancers don't even look at one another. They are just a lot of isolated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-about-our-times-the-dancers/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Modern dancers should be doing things no one else is doing, and it should come from the gut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/modern-dancers-should-be-doing-things-no-one-else-is-doing-and-it/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I disagree with the idea that modern dancers are cold or unemotional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucinda-childs/i-disagree-with-the-idea-that-modern-dancers-are-cold-or-unemotional/) [Lucinda Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucinda-childs/) > [Dancing is such a despised and dishonored trade that if you tell a doctor or a laywer you do choreography he'll look at you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/dancing-is-such-a-despised-and-dishonored-trade-that-if-you-tell-a/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Dancers aren't made of their technique, but their passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/dancers-aren-t-made-of-their-technique-but-their-passion/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [The universe lies before you on the floor, in the air, in the mysterious bodies of your dancers, in your mind. From this voyage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/the-universe-lies-before-you-on-the-floor-in-the-air-in-the/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [What is it in absinthe that makes it a separate cult? The effects of its abuse are totally distinct from those of other stimulants.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/what-is-it-in-absinthe-that-makes-it-a-separate-cult-the-effects-of/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [The Thickety is a sinister, magical debut with a marvelous and shocking heroine. J.A. White’s elegant writing and masterful plot kept me turning pages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mcmann/the-thickety-is-a-sinister-magical-debut-with-a-marvelous-and/) [Lisa McMann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mcmann/) > [“Why? Who are you running from?” Jay laughs, dark and sinister, “Not running. Hunting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-sevilla/why-who-are-you-running-from-jay-laughs-dark-and-sinister-not-running/) [J.M. Sevilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-sevilla/) > [A foreigner is an individual who is considered either comic or sinister. When the victim of a disaster - preferably natural but sometimes political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/a-foreigner-is-an-individual-who-is-considered-either-comic-or/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [You can make dark, sinister, weird jokes without being deeply offensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-front/you-can-make-dark-sinister-weird-jokes-without-being-deeply-offensive/) [Rebecca Front](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-front/) > [“She smiled sinisterly. Light mist started to slowly swirl around us. All I could see was her, the tall rocks and the white wall.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-sehyun-song/she-smiled-sinisterly-light-mist-started-to-slowly-swirl-around-us/) [Erica Sehyun Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-sehyun-song/) > [“When she opened her eyes they were confronted by a musical box against the opposite wall - one of those early Bavarian toys where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-m-boston/when-she-opened-her-eyes-they-were-confronted-by-a-musical-box/) Lucy M. Boston > [It is hard to work for years with pure motives, and all the time be looked upon by most of those to whom our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livingstone/it-is-hard-to-work-for-years-with-pure-motives-and-all-the-time-be/) [David Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livingstone/) > [If anything, technology has brought out the darker and more sinister side of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klayton/if-anything-technology-has-brought-out-the-darker-and-more-sinister/) [Klayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klayton/) ## More by Agnes de Mille > [I studied the way I danced- to the point of dropping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/i-studied-the-way-i-danced-to-the-point-of-dropping/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [I learned three important things in college-to use a library, to memorize quickly and visually, to drop asleep at any time given a horizontal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/i-learned-three-important-things-in-college-to-use-a-library-to/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/to-dance-is-to-be-out-of-yourself-larger-more-beautiful-more-powerful/) [Agnes De Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/living-is-a-form-of-not-being-sure-not-knowing-what-next-or-how-the/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Ballet technique is arbitrary and very difficult. It never becomes easy...it becomes possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/ballet-technique-is-arbitrary-and-very-difficult-it-never-becomes/) [Agnes De Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [We can't stand silence, because silence induces thinking. And if we thought, we would have to face ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/we-can-t-stand-silence-because-silence-induces-thinking-and-if-we/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [What have we got here in America that we believe we cannot live without? We have the most varied and imaginative bathrooms in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/what-have-we-got-here-in-america-that-we-believe-we-cannot-live/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [To make up a dance, I still need, as I needed then, a pot of tea, walking space, privacy and an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/to-make-up-a-dance-i-still-need-as-i-needed-then-a-pot-of-tea-walking/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/no-trumpets-sound-when-the-important-decisions-of-our-life-are-made/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times. The dancers don't even look at one another. They are just a lot of isolated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-about-our-times-the-dancers/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/living-is-a-form-of-not-being-sure-not-knowing-what-next-or-how-the-2/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Friends die one by one, but so, thank God, do enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/friends-die-one-by-one-but-so-thank-god-do-enemies/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [The universe lies before you on the floor, in the air, in the mysterious bodies of your dancers, in your mind. From this voyage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/the-universe-lies-before-you-on-the-floor-in-the-air-in-the/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [I want one word on my tombstone - dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/i-want-one-word-on-my-tombstone-dancer/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [“The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/the-truest-expression-of-a-people-is-in-its-dance-and-in-its-music/) [Agnes De Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) [Explore all 46 Agnes de Mille quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) ## More Dance quotes > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [I studied all kinds of dance, all types of music. I got good grades. I started hitting the recording studio around 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-derulo/i-studied-all-kinds-of-dance-all-types-of-music-i-got-good-grades-i/) [Jason Derulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-derulo/) > [I like Sam Smith and Taylor Swift. I love pop music, but I also like Sam Smith's slow songs. That would be more to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maddie-ziegler/i-like-sam-smith-and-taylor-swift-i-love-pop-music-but-i-also-like/) [Maddie Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maddie-ziegler/) > [I think it's useful to experience other types of dance and other cultures, and the life of a classical dancer these days is certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-bull/i-think-it-s-useful-to-experience-other-types-of-dance-and-other/) [Deborah Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-bull/) > [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [My body was so instrumental to how I took pictures: it was practically a dance. I used to use my legs a lot; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-body-was-so-instrumental-to-how-i-took-pictures-it-was-practically/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-would-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-to-teach-10-000/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [If you dance, you dance because you have to. Every dancer hurts, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunham/if-you-dance-you-dance-because-you-have-to-every-dancer-hurts-you-know/) [Katherine Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunham/) > [I'm not a dancer. Never took a dance class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrishell-stause/i-m-not-a-dancer-never-took-a-dance-class/) [Chrishell Stause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrishell-stause/) > [Being fit is the easiest part of being a dance professional. I used to just throw on a backpack full of rocks and run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-du-beke/being-fit-is-the-easiest-part-of-being-a-dance-professional-i-used-to/) [Anton du Beke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-du-beke/) > [I'm a horrible dancer, but I wanted to record songs that made me want to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lane/i-m-a-horrible-dancer-but-i-wanted-to-record-songs-that-made-me-want/) [Chris Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lane/) [Browse all 9,682 Dance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Agnes de Mille" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-about-our-times/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-about-our-times/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/agnes-de-mille-14468_dance_modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-a_349919.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/agnes-de-mille-14468_dance_modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-a_349919.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/agnes-de-mille-14468_dance_modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-a_349919.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Modern dancers give a sinister portent about our times.” — Agnes de Mille", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Agnes de Mille", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Modern dancers give a sinister portent...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-about-our-times/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/modern-dancers-give-a-sinister-portent-about-our-times/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```