--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The important thing is to know why we…" description: "\"The important thing is to know why we want to dance. We dance a solitude that we have inside us and cannot occupy with anything. This gap, that emptine..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/carlos-gavito-58218_dance_the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-wa_2283162.png" --- # The important thing is to know why we want to dance. We… ![“The important thing is to know why we want to dance. We dance a solitude that we have inside us and cannot occupy with anything. This gap, that emptiness to which we put movement is the TANGO.” quote by Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/carlos-gavito-58218_dance_the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-wa_2283162.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/carlos-gavito-58218_dance_the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-wa_2283162.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/carlos-gavito-58218_dance_the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-wa_2283162.png) > “The important thing is to know why we want to dance. We dance a solitude that we have inside us and cannot occupy with anything. This gap, that emptiness to which we put movement is the TANGO.” [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding the personal motivation behind dancing reveals that movement fills an inner emptiness, turning solitude into expressive TANGO. **In simple terms:** Dance fills inner emptiness. Key Takeaway Identify why you move. Themes self‑expression solitude creativity Mood introspective passionate Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - performance art - therapy - social gatherings Key Concepts Existentialism embodied cognition Questions to Reflect On - What emptiness are you trying to fill with dance? - How does knowing your motive change your style? A Different Perspective May overlook external influences on movement choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Emptiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emptiness/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Tango](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tango/) ## Related quotes > [The women all want to dance. I dance all night every night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-women-all-want-to-dance-i-dance-all-night-every-night/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you really want a woman to love you, then you have to dance. And if you don’t want to dance, then you’re going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/if-you-really-want-a-woman-to-love-you-then-you-have-to-dance-and-if/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [The secret of tango is in this moment of improvisation that happens between step and step. It is to make the impossible thing possible:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/the-secret-of-tango-is-in-this-moment-of-improvisation-that-happens/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [Tango is about feeling and sensitivity, otherwise you are just doing gymnastics. You can do all the steps but it has to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/tango-is-about-feeling-and-sensitivity-otherwise-you-are-just-doing/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [I think those who say that you can't tango if you are not Argentine are mistaken. Tango was an immigrant music... so it does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/i-think-those-who-say-that-you-can-t-tango-if-you-are-not-argentine/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [A good dancer is one who listens to the musicWe dance the music not the steps. Anyone who aspires to dance never thinks about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/a-good-dancer-is-one-who-listens-to-the-musicwe-dance-the-music-not/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [When you dance with a partner you are close and the dance is very suggestive, but it is not personal … “Close is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/when-you-dance-with-a-partner-you-are-close-and-the-dance-is-very/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [“We can learn the universal, generic pattern of life's dance from the 12 Steps. But in our individual dance of life, we must choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-cleveland/we-can-learn-the-universal-generic-pattern-of-life-s-dance-from-the/) Martha Cleveland > [We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/japanese-proverb/we-re-fools-whether-we-dance-or-not-so-we-might-as-well-dance/) Japanese Proverb > [At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-the-still-point-of-the-turning-world-neither-flesh-nor-fleshless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ky, this a dance and at a dance you do this thing called dancing."-Isaac”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micalea-smeltzer/ky-this-a-dance-and-at-a-dance-you-do-this-thing-called-dancing-isaac/) [Micalea Smeltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micalea-smeltzer/) > [I wasn't a ballet baby. My first dance class was in an outdoor pavilion when I was three. It was called 'creative movement.' The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-ann-inaba/i-wasn-t-a-ballet-baby-my-first-dance-class-was-in-an-outdoor/) [Carrie Ann Inaba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-ann-inaba/) > [We dance, we dance. You hold the thread of my soul. You spin, you spin. And you unravel the part from the whole. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/we-dance-we-dance-you-hold-the-thread-of-my-soul-you-spin-you-spin/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [Do you know what it is sir? Do you know what the Dance Dance Revolution is? It's not an actual revolution, so you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/do-you-know-what-it-is-sir-do-you-know-what-the-dance-dance/) [Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/) > [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/) ## More by Carlos Gavito > [Tango is about feeling and sensitivity, otherwise you are just doing gymnastics. You can do all the steps but it has to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/tango-is-about-feeling-and-sensitivity-otherwise-you-are-just-doing/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [I think those who say that you can't tango if you are not Argentine are mistaken. Tango was an immigrant music... so it does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/i-think-those-who-say-that-you-can-t-tango-if-you-are-not-argentine/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [When you dance with a partner you are close and the dance is very suggestive, but it is not personal … “Close is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/when-you-dance-with-a-partner-you-are-close-and-the-dance-is-very/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [A good dancer is one who listens to the musicWe dance the music not the steps. Anyone who aspires to dance never thinks about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/a-good-dancer-is-one-who-listens-to-the-musicwe-dance-the-music-not/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) > [The secret of tango is in this moment of improvisation that happens between step and step. It is to make the impossible thing possible:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/the-secret-of-tango-is-in-this-moment-of-improvisation-that-happens/) [Carlos Gavito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) [Explore all 6 Carlos Gavito quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/) ## 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": "The important thing is to know why we want to dance. We dance a solitude that we have inside us and cannot occupy with anything. This gap, that emptiness to which we put movement is the TANGO.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carlos Gavito" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-want-to-dance-we-dance-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-want-to-dance-we-dance-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/carlos-gavito-58218_dance_the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-wa_2283162.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/carlos-gavito-58218_dance_the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-wa_2283162.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53e/carlos-gavito-58218_dance_the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-wa_2283162.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The important thing is to know why we want to dance. We dance a solitude that we have inside us and cannot…” — Carlos Gavito", "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": "Carlos Gavito", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-gavito/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The important thing is to know...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-want-to-dance-we-dance-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-gavito/the-important-thing-is-to-know-why-we-want-to-dance-we-dance-a/#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 } } ] } ```