--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don’t understand anything about the…" description: "\"I don’t understand anything about the ballet; all I know is that during the intervals the ballerinas stink like horses.\" — Anton Chekhov" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/anton-chekhov-298_ballerina_i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ba_2930904.jpg" --- # I don’t understand anything about the ballet; all I know… ![“I don’t understand anything about the ballet; all I know is that during the intervals the ballerinas stink like horses.” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/anton-chekhov-298_ballerina_i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ba_2930904.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/anton-chekhov-298_ballerina_i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ba_2930904.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/anton-chekhov-298_ballerina_i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ba_2930904.jpg) > “I don’t understand anything about the ballet; all I know is that during the intervals the ballerinas stink like horses.” [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admits ignorance of ballet but humorously notes the unpleasant odor during intermissions. **In simple terms:** Ballet is confusing and smelly. Key Takeaway Accept ignorance with humor. Themes humor ignorance culture critique Mood playful ironic Type satirical observational When to use this quote - theatre reviews - social commentary - personal anecdotes Key Concepts social observation bodily functions art criticism Questions to Reflect On - What does the odor comment reveal about audience expectations? - How does humor soften criticism? A Different Perspective Humor may offend ballet enthusiasts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballerina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballerina/) [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) ## Related quotes > [I come from ballet, and so I know a lot about intensity around one's own physical appearance. I feel quite familiar with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-barbaro/i-come-from-ballet-and-so-i-know-a-lot-about-intensity-around-one-s/) [Monica Barbaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-barbaro/) > [Pointe shoes are torture devices. I mean, ballerinas get used to it, but it was definitely a new experience for me. They feel medieval.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-portman/pointe-shoes-are-torture-devices-i-mean-ballerinas-get-used-to-it-but/) [Natalie Portman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-portman/) > [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [And then you have the classical ballerinas, they're like sopranos. Applied to the dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/and-then-you-have-the-classical-ballerinas-they-re-like-sopranos/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [It's surprising to a lot of people because ballerinas look so long, but it's more of a proportion thing. Their legs are long in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/it-s-surprising-to-a-lot-of-people-because-ballerinas-look-so-long/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [Contrary to vulgar legend the lives of great ballerinas are not entirely given up to a few minutes of graceful movement every night followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/contrary-to-vulgar-legend-the-lives-of-great-ballerinas-are-not/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I wonder what it would be like if we all became what we wanted to be when we grew up? I mean, imagine a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-wonder-what-it-would-be-like-if-we-all-became-what-we-wanted-to-be/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [As ballerinas, we don't use our voices. Our voice is the body and the movement quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-whelan/as-ballerinas-we-don-t-use-our-voices-our-voice-is-the-body-and-the/) [Wendy Whelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-whelan/) > [I think most people think of ballerinas as kind of either as a fairytale, far-away thing that's really not attainable, something they can't grasp,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-think-most-people-think-of-ballerinas-as-kind-of-either-as-a/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [Ballerinas are often divided into three categories: jumpers, turners and balancers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/ballerinas-are-often-divided-into-three-categories-jumpers-turners/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [Most ballerinas take their first ballet class when they are 5 or 6 years old. I was 13 when I took mine on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/most-ballerinas-take-their-first-ballet-class-when-they-are-5-or-6/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [“Horses have powerful legs- but that doesn't mean they're prima ballerinas. Elianna to Mariketa.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/horses-have-powerful-legs-but-that-doesn-t-mean-they-re-prima/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [When I first saw Lauren Anderson I was like 'Oh my god there are black ballerinas!' I was very surprised because I had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/when-i-first-saw-lauren-anderson-i-was-like-oh-my-god-there-are-black/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [I want to change the way people look at black ballerinas and how they think about adoption. I want to become a role model…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/i-want-to-change-the-way-people-look-at-black-ballerinas-and-how-they/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [“If the ocean were music, sailboats would be the ballerinas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-carlino/if-the-ocean-were-music-sailboats-would-be-the-ballerinas/) [Renee Carlino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-carlino/) ## More by Anton Chekhov > [“Using vile means to attain worthy ends makes the ends themselves vile. Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-ever-my-life-can-be-of-any-use-to-you-come-and-claim-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“But here was all the timorousness and angularity of inexperienced youth, a feeling of awkwardness, and an impression of bewilderment, as if someone had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-here-was-all-the-timorousness-and-angularity-of-inexperienced/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“At the water's edge, barrels of pitch blazed like huge bonfires. Their reflection, crimson as the rising moon, crept to meet us in long,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/at-the-water-s-edge-barrels-of-pitch-blazed-like-huge-bonfires-their/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Anna Petrovna: Never talk to women about your own good qualities. Let them find out for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/anna-petrovna-never-talk-to-women-about-your-own-good-qualities-let/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [While you're playing cards with a regular guy or having a bite to eat with him, he seems a peaceable, good-humoured and not entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/while-you-re-playing-cards-with-a-regular-guy-or-having-a-bite-to-eat/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Lebedev: France has a clear and defined policy... The French know what they want. They just want to wipe out the Krauts, finish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/lebedev-france-has-a-clear-and-defined-policy-the-french-know-what/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“My holy of holies are the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom - freedom from force and falsity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-holy-of-holies-are-the-human-body-health-intelligence-talent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“What we have, we do not treasure,” and what’s more we do not even love it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/what-we-have-we-do-not-treasure-and-what-s-more-we-do-not-even-love-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“It is my opinion that every woman can be a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-is-my-opinion-that-every-woman-can-be-a-writer/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“His reading suggested a man swimming in the sea among the wreckage of his ship, and trying to save his life by greedily clutching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/his-reading-suggested-a-man-swimming-in-the-sea-among-the-wreckage-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Why do you always wear black?” "I am mourning for my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/why-do-you-always-wear-black-i-am-mourning-for-my-life/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) [Explore all 679 Anton Chekhov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## More Ballerina quotes > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“O wayfarer! Yearn finds quench, not in meadows, seashores or altitude of mountain peaks; but when being and dance are one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shah-asad-rizvi/o-wayfarer-yearn-finds-quench-not-in-meadows-seashores-or-altitude-of/) [Shah Asad Rizvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shah-asad-rizvi/) > [“If movements were a spark every dancer would desire to light up in flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shah-asad-rizvi/if-movements-were-a-spark-every-dancer-would-desire-to-light-up-in/) [Shah Asad Rizvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shah-asad-rizvi/) > [“Burdened no more is soul for whom life flows through dance like breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shah-asad-rizvi/burdened-no-more-is-soul-for-whom-life-flows-through-dance-like-breath/) [Shah Asad Rizvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shah-asad-rizvi/) > [“Dance as the narration of a magical story; that recites on lips, illuminates imaginations and embraces the most sacred depths of souls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shah-asad-rizvi/dance-as-the-narration-of-a-magical-story-that-recites-on-lips/) [Shah Asad Rizvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shah-asad-rizvi/) > [I wanted to be a ballerina. I studied ballet for 19 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-soleil/i-wanted-to-be-a-ballerina-i-studied-ballet-for-19-years/) Stella Soleil > [I think that the ideal physique and look of a ballerina is always changing with different eras. And it's continuing to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-think-that-the-ideal-physique-and-look-of-a-ballerina-is-always/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [Did I ever tell you my pet peeve?' No,' I said. People who dress up their pets to look like Little Lord Fauntleroys or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/did-i-ever-tell-you-my-pet-peeve-no-i-said-people-who-dress-up-their/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [I have no interest in being a trained ballerina. People should dance how they want to dance. I want to be the funky chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclanahan/i-have-no-interest-in-being-a-trained-ballerina-people-should-dance/) [Scott McClanahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclanahan/) > [I used to want to be a war photographer, and I used to want to be a ballerina and a comedian. I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-power/i-used-to-want-to-be-a-war-photographer-and-i-used-to-want-to-be-a/) [Cat Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-power/) > [I've always felt like a different kind of ballerina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-whelan/i-ve-always-felt-like-a-different-kind-of-ballerina/) [Wendy Whelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-whelan/) > [Above all, I wanted to be appreciated as a prima ballerina who happened to be a Native American, never as someone who was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-tallchief/above-all-i-wanted-to-be-appreciated-as-a-prima-ballerina-who/) [Maria Tallchief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-tallchief/) > [When I was growing up, I dreamed about becoming a cowgirl, a detective, a spy, a great actress, or a ballerina. Not a dentist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/when-i-was-growing-up-i-dreamed-about-becoming-a-cowgirl-a-detective/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [Perseverance has always just been something that was in me. And it was a tool that came in very handy as a ballerina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/perseverance-has-always-just-been-something-that-was-in-me-and-it-was/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) [Browse all 191 Ballerina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballerina/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don’t understand anything about the ballet; all I know is that during the intervals the ballerinas stink like horses.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anton Chekhov" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ballet-all-i-know-is-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ballerina" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ballet-all-i-know-is-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/anton-chekhov-298_ballerina_i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ba_2930904.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/anton-chekhov-298_ballerina_i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ba_2930904.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/493/anton-chekhov-298_ballerina_i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ba_2930904.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don’t understand anything about the ballet; all I know is that during the intervals the ballerinas stink…” — Anton Chekhov", "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": "Anton Chekhov", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don’t understand anything about the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ballet-all-i-know-is-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-don-t-understand-anything-about-the-ballet-all-i-know-is-that/#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 } } ] } ```