--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before a show, I usually give myself…" description: "\"Before a show, I usually give myself two-and-a-half hours to get ready. I prepare my shoes first. New ballet pumps can sound like tap shoes. You have t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/darcey-bussell-5047_ballet_before-a-show-i-usually-give-myself-two_1927133.png" --- # Before a show, I usually give myself two-and-a-half hours… ![“Before a show, I usually give myself two-and-a-half hours to get ready. I prepare my shoes first. New ballet pumps can sound like tap shoes. You have to take the noise out of them by hitting them against stone. It takes half an hour to do each pair, and I can go through three pairs in one night.” quote by Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/darcey-bussell-5047_ballet_before-a-show-i-usually-give-myself-two_1927133.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/darcey-bussell-5047_ballet_before-a-show-i-usually-give-myself-two_1927133.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/darcey-bussell-5047_ballet_before-a-show-i-usually-give-myself-two_1927133.png) > “Before a show, I usually give myself two-and-a-half hours to get ready. I prepare my shoes first. New ballet pumps can sound like tap shoes. You have to take the noise out of them by hitting them against stone. It takes half an hour to do each pair, and I can go through three pairs in one night.” [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She details a meticulous pre‑performance ritual to ensure her ballet shoes produce the correct sound, highlighting preparation and attention to detail. **In simple terms:** She prepares her shoes carefully before shows. Key Takeaway Prioritize detailed preparation. Themes discipline craftsmanship performance Mood focused determined Type process inspirational When to use this quote - theater rehearsals - musical instrument tuning - sports equipment checks Key Concepts dance ritual sound design Questions to Reflect On - How does this ritual affect her confidence? - Can similar rituals improve other performances? A Different Perspective The time spent on preparation could be seen as excessive by others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Ballet Pumps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet-pumps-1413203/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Prepare Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prepare-shoes-2993446/) [Pumps Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pumps-sound-2993448/) [Ready Prepare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ready-prepare-2993447/) [Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoes/) [Tap Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tap-shoes-1707047/) ## Related quotes > [How can you live the high life if you do not wear high heels? I don't understand why women wear these ballet pumps. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-rykiel/how-can-you-live-the-high-life-if-you-do-not-wear-high-heels-i-don-t/) [Sonia Rykiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-rykiel/) > [I get to the theatre in plenty of time; I prepare my shoes in advance; I eat and drink the right things at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-bull/i-get-to-the-theatre-in-plenty-of-time-i-prepare-my-shoes-in-advance/) [Deborah Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-bull/) > [Ballet pumps are the dream shoes because they are so comfortable. They look great both with jeans and summer dresses; and you can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/ballet-pumps-are-the-dream-shoes-because-they-are-so-comfortable-they/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [“There you go again, tangoing in tap shoes...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-fasano/there-you-go-again-tangoing-in-tap-shoes/) [Donna Fasano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-fasano/) > [My dance shoes - ballroom shoes, tap shoes, ballerinas - are my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-mohan/my-dance-shoes-ballroom-shoes-tap-shoes-ballerinas-are-my-life/) [Shakti Mohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-mohan/) > [I make an ass clap like tap shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/driicky-graham/i-make-an-ass-clap-like-tap-shoes/) [Driicky Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/driicky-graham/) > [I joined the Royal Ballet School when I was 13. Before then, I'd done ballet twice a week after school. The rest of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-joined-the-royal-ballet-school-when-i-was-13-before-then-i-d-done/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [I loved gymnastics, and my gymnastics teacher said ballet was essential to help my dance routines in competitions. I only really went because my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-loved-gymnastics-and-my-gymnastics-teacher-said-ballet-was/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Fonteyn was our first proper British ballerina, and from the moment I started dancing, her image engulfed me. In my first year at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/fonteyn-was-our-first-proper-british-ballerina-and-from-the-moment-i/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [I always knew I was a bit different from my friends, had too much energy, and suddenly I could get it all out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-always-knew-i-was-a-bit-different-from-my-friends-had-too-much/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Everything is not beautiful at the ballet. It's tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/everything-is-not-beautiful-at-the-ballet-it-s-tough/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [No matter the style, the farther one goes the more obstacles increase, and the more distant appears the object it is desired to attain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-georges-noverre/no-matter-the-style-the-farther-one-goes-the-more-obstacles-increase/) [Jean-Georges Noverre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-georges-noverre/) > [So I'm studying ballet every day and really training so people will see me as a ballet dancer, which no one's seen before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/so-i-m-studying-ballet-every-day-and-really-training-so-people-will/) [Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/) > [One can be a great artist without being a great technician. There have been many famous ballet stars who did not have the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-bujones/one-can-be-a-great-artist-without-being-a-great-technician-there-have/) [Fernando Bujones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-bujones/) > [“Afterwards Isabelle often wondered if the moments themselves were greater or the memory of them. At least the memory did not pass, while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-bentley/afterwards-isabelle-often-wondered-if-the-moments-themselves-were/) [Toni Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-bentley/) ## More by Darcey Bussell > [Being a full-time mother is one of the biggest jobs in the world; it's like another career for me. I love every moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/being-a-full-time-mother-is-one-of-the-biggest-jobs-in-the-world-it-s/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [We always want what we don't have, and I'd like a long, sophisticated nose rather than a short, turned-up one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/we-always-want-what-we-don-t-have-and-i-d-like-a-long-sophisticated/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Life is short, so go for things you enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/life-is-short-so-go-for-things-you-enjoy/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [I used to wear long jumpers, but they made me look like a bag tied up in the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-used-to-wear-long-jumpers-but-they-made-me-look-like-a-bag-tied-up/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Weirdly, I didn't even know that I said 'yah' all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/weirdly-i-didn-t-even-know-that-i-said-yah-all-the-time/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Dancers are working their bodies just like a marathon runner would, and you have to eat to make it through a three-hour performance. Dancers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/dancers-are-working-their-bodies-just-like-a-marathon-runner-would/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [The best thing is to lie in a warm Epsom salts bath for 15 minutes and then go straight to bed. You will sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/the-best-thing-is-to-lie-in-a-warm-epsom-salts-bath-for-15-minutes/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [I wanted to inspire every little girl who wants to be a dancer to fire their imagination about the joys of being on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-wanted-to-inspire-every-little-girl-who-wants-to-be-a-dancer-to/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Everything is not beautiful at the ballet. It's tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/everything-is-not-beautiful-at-the-ballet-it-s-tough/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Now I'm on television, I'm far more conscious of my skin than I used to be - I would often leave the theatre with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/now-i-m-on-television-i-m-far-more-conscious-of-my-skin-than-i-used/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [The orthopaedic surgeon said that if ever I had hip or groin pain, I should rest until the pain went. However, resting is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/the-orthopaedic-surgeon-said-that-if-ever-i-had-hip-or-groin-pain-i/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [If I start something, I have to finish it. I know that's annoying - it drives my husband mad - but even if something's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/if-i-start-something-i-have-to-finish-it-i-know-that-s-annoying-it/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [I wore myself out physically and mentally over my career, and I couldn't be there for my daughters in ways I should have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-wore-myself-out-physically-and-mentally-over-my-career-and-i-couldn/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [You don't just become a success overnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/you-don-t-just-become-a-success-overnight/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [I'm a size 8-10. I never weigh myself - I go on how tight my jeans are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-m-a-size-8-10-i-never-weigh-myself-i-go-on-how-tight-my-jeans-are/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) [Explore all 104 Darcey Bussell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) ## More Ballet quotes > [“Afterwards Isabelle often wondered if the moments themselves were greater or the memory of them. At least the memory did not pass, while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-bentley/afterwards-isabelle-often-wondered-if-the-moments-themselves-were/) [Toni Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-bentley/) > [One can be a great artist without being a great technician. There have been many famous ballet stars who did not have the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-bujones/one-can-be-a-great-artist-without-being-a-great-technician-there-have/) [Fernando Bujones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-bujones/) > [So I'm studying ballet every day and really training so people will see me as a ballet dancer, which no one's seen before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/so-i-m-studying-ballet-every-day-and-really-training-so-people-will/) [Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/) > [No matter the style, the farther one goes the more obstacles increase, and the more distant appears the object it is desired to attain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-georges-noverre/no-matter-the-style-the-farther-one-goes-the-more-obstacles-increase/) [Jean-Georges Noverre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-georges-noverre/) > [What I love most about ballet is being able to express my emotions through dance, and to be able to bring others joy through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/what-i-love-most-about-ballet-is-being-able-to-express-my-emotions/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-not-a-question-of-who-dances-but-of-who-or-what-does-not-dance/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [Ballet is pure and demands that you serve something larger than yourself, whether it be beauty or art, or a combination of both. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-martins/ballet-is-pure-and-demands-that-you-serve-something-larger-than/) [Peter Martins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-martins/) > [Even though I am a professional, and I know what the steps are, I don't quite know how I'm going to do them, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-farrell/even-though-i-am-a-professional-and-i-know-what-the-steps-are-i-don-t/) [Suzanne Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-farrell/) > [I'd rather be a guy that can build a house or fix a car than be able to walk like a ballet dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/i-d-rather-be-a-guy-that-can-build-a-house-or-fix-a-car-than-be-able/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [When I was 16, I moved to Torrance, California to train at a more advanced studio, and by 19, I joined the American Ballet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/when-i-was-16-i-moved-to-torrance-california-to-train-at-a-more/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [Bob's work gleaned from hoofing, from vaudeville, from ballet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/bob-s-work-gleaned-from-hoofing-from-vaudeville-from-ballet/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [You can imagine me as a kid growing up in redneck Texas with ballet shoes, tucking the violin under my arm. I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-swayze/you-can-imagine-me-as-a-kid-growing-up-in-redneck-texas-with-ballet/) [Patrick Swayze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-swayze/) > [I only started writing in the latter days of Spandau Ballet. I didnt know I could write because all had our roles within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hadley/i-only-started-writing-in-the-latter-days-of-spandau-ballet-i-didnt/) [Tony Hadley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hadley/) > [All ballet, all reading, all music. That was my world, my inner world,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-makarova/all-ballet-all-reading-all-music-that-was-my-world-my-inner-world/) [Natalia Makarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-makarova/) > [I can dance. I like hip hop and stuff and jazz movements, but I'm horrible in ballet. I tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keke-palmer/i-can-dance-i-like-hip-hop-and-stuff-and-jazz-movements-but-i-m/) [Keke Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keke-palmer/) [Browse all 1,227 Ballet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before a show, I usually give myself two-and-a-half hours to get ready. I prepare my shoes first. New ballet pumps can sound like tap shoes. You have to take the noise out of them by hitting them against stone. 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