--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do you know what it took for Balanchine…" description: "\"Do you know what it took for Balanchine to put me, a black man, on stage with a white woman? This was 1957, before civil rights. He showed me how to ta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/arthur-mitchell-58567_black_do-you-know-what-it-took-for-balanchine_1829924.jpg" --- # Do you know what it took for Balanchine to put me, a black… ![“Do you know what it took for Balanchine to put me, a black man, on stage with a white woman? This was 1957, before civil rights. He showed me how to take her [holding her delicately by the wrist]. He said, ‘put your hand on top.’ The skin colors were part of the choreography. He saw what was going…” quote by Arthur Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/arthur-mitchell-58567_black_do-you-know-what-it-took-for-balanchine_1829924.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/arthur-mitchell-58567_black_do-you-know-what-it-took-for-balanchine_1829924.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/arthur-mitchell-58567_black_do-you-know-what-it-took-for-balanchine_1829924.jpg) > “Do you know what it took for Balanchine to put me, a black man, on stage with a white woman? This was 1957, before civil rights. He showed me how to take her \[holding her delicately by the wrist\]. He said, ‘put your hand on top.’ The skin colors were part of the choreography. He saw what was going to happen in the world and put it on stage.” [Arthur Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Breaking racial barriers in art required courage and intentional collaboration. **In simple terms:** Art can confront and reshape social norms. Key Takeaway Use art to challenge injustice. Themes race art collaboration courage history Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - theatre productions - dance education - community projects - policy advocacy Key Concepts social change representation cultural integration Questions to Reflect On - How can you support inclusive art? - What role does you play in social change? A Different Perspective Resistance may arise from entrenched biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choreography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choreography/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Skin color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin-color/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Listen, you. Don't threaten me. I could make your life a nightmare. He put his hand in front of her face and unfolded three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-garwood/listen-you-don-t-threaten-me-i-could-make-your-life-a-nightmare-he/) [Julie Garwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-garwood/) > [“of my glorious hand, or an autograph drawn by the said hand. Some folks go as far as”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-bennett/of-my-glorious-hand-or-an-autograph-drawn-by-the-said-hand-some-folks/) Liv Bennett > [Isi, I’m trying to say that you’ve been… no, you’re so, you’re–” He stopped. "You are,” he said. His hand found hers, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/isi-i-m-trying-to-say-that-you-ve-been-no-you-re-so-you-re-he-stopped/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [“What I would say to people right now is that you can’t count on anything that you don’t do yourself,” Jim said. “If your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-maharidge/what-i-would-say-to-people-right-now-is-that-you-can-t-count-on/) Dale Maharidge > [“...Death," she said, as her hand dropped away, " is how you know you were alive in the first place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-pettersson/death-she-said-as-her-hand-dropped-away-is-how-you-know-you-were/) [Vicki Pettersson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-pettersson/) > [“So, you have a hand fetish and you get turned on by the sound of my voice?" "I never said I had a hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarryn-fisher/so-you-have-a-hand-fetish-and-you-get-turned-on-by-the-sound-of-my/) [Tarryn Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarryn-fisher/) > [I never studied with Balanchine, but his work was very important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-never-studied-with-balanchine-but-his-work-was-very-important-to-me/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [If Balanchine had any secret, it was one that has endured through two hundred years of classical ballet. It is that dancing correctly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-croce/if-balanchine-had-any-secret-it-was-one-that-has-endured-through-two/) [Arlene Croce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlene-croce/) > [Balanchine was just able to strike the balance between literal narrative and abstract dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-peck/balanchine-was-just-able-to-strike-the-balance-between-literal/) [Justin Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-peck/) > ['A Midsummer Night's Dream' is one of George Balanchine's greatest creations - and one of the greatest of all story ballets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/a-midsummer-night-s-dream-is-one-of-george-balanchine-s-greatest/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [I've always felt that Balanchine is my ultimate teacher. I learn the most from observing his work and also dancing in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-peck/i-ve-always-felt-that-balanchine-is-my-ultimate-teacher-i-learn-the/) [Justin Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-peck/) > [Balanchine is the number one influence for me. His work was really musically driven. He and Jerome Robbins were the ones who really showed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-peck/balanchine-is-the-number-one-influence-for-me-his-work-was-really/) [Justin Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-peck/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/there-was-a-stage-when-balanchine-and-i-didn-t-talk-i-was-trying-to/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [I have been doing choreography my whole life, and it's so important to make that marriage between music and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-angelique/i-have-been-doing-choreography-my-whole-life-and-it-s-so-important-to/) [Dawn Angelique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-angelique/) > [There's no thinking involved in my choreography... I don't work through images or ideas. I work through the body... If the dancer dances, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merce-cunningham/there-s-no-thinking-involved-in-my-choreography-i-don-t-work-through/) [Merce Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merce-cunningham/) ## More by Arthur Mitchell > [If you feel someone suspicious is following you, the best thing to do is to talk on your cell phone, Even if you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mitchell/if-you-feel-someone-suspicious-is-following-you-the-best-thing-to-do/) [Arthur Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-mitchell/) > [Guilt, remorse. It's what separates us from the animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mitchell/guilt-remorse-it-s-what-separates-us-from-the-animals/) [Arthur Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-mitchell/) > [What does dance give you? 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