--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are times when the simple dignity…" description: "\"There are times when the simple dignity of movementcan fulfill the function of a volume of words.\" — Doris Humphrey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/doris-humphrey-42635_ballet-dance_there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity_1580507.jpg" --- # There are times when the simple dignity of movementcan… ![“There are times when the simple dignity of movementcan fulfill the function of a volume of words.” quote by Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/doris-humphrey-42635_ballet-dance_there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity_1580507.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/doris-humphrey-42635_ballet-dance_there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity_1580507.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/doris-humphrey-42635_ballet-dance_there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity_1580507.jpg) > “There are times when the simple dignity of movementcan fulfill the function of a volume of words.” [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Simple movement can express profound meaning without words. **In simple terms:** Movement speaks louder than words. Key Takeaway Use physical expression. Themes expression movement simplicity Mood artistic evocative Type creative educational When to use this quote - dance performance - therapy sessions - public speaking - visual arts Key Concepts kinetics embodiment Questions to Reflect On - How can you convey emotion through gesture? - When is movement more effective than speech? A Different Perspective Physical expression may be misinterpreted without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballet dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet-dance/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Dignity Movementcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity-movementcan-5969247/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Just dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-dance/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Modern dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-dance/) [Movementcan Fulfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movementcan-fulfill-5969248/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Simple Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-dignity-4666893/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Volume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volume/) [Volume Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volume-words-5260265/) ## Related quotes > [“Every woman deserves the simple dignity of dying in a bed with clean sheets and an electric light at hand.' -spoken by Sara, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/every-woman-deserves-the-simple-dignity-of-dying-in-a-bed-with-clean/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [“I have always felt this And I, I could never hear it So I turned it up And turned it on And turned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/i-have-always-felt-this-and-i-i-could-never-hear-it-so-i-turned-it-up/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [Dancing is just discovery, discovery, discovery - what it all means, the way the little bone near the ankle relates itself to the floor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/dancing-is-just-discovery-discovery-discovery-what-it-all-means-the/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [I had art as a major, along with English, French and History. I had dance, modern dance. In English I was allowed to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-kirkland/i-had-art-as-a-major-along-with-english-french-and-history-i-had/) [Sally Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-kirkland/) > [“It's a rental," I said, realizing when I said it that our house was the only rental on the block. Maybe something unseemly had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-straub/it-s-a-rental-i-said-realizing-when-i-said-it-that-our-house-was-the/) [Emma Straub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-straub/) > [I attended Professional Children's School in Manhattan because my ballet and modern dance schedules were intensive and had started to interfere with regular school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/essence-atkins/i-attended-professional-children-s-school-in-manhattan-because-my/) [Essence Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/essence-atkins/) > [A lot of people insisted on a wall between modern dance and ballet. I'm beginning to think that walls are very unhealthy things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/a-lot-of-people-insisted-on-a-wall-between-modern-dance-and-ballet-i/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [What we want from modern dance is courage and audacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/what-we-want-from-modern-dance-is-courage-and-audacity/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [“Through synergy of intellect, artistry and grace came into existence the blessing of a dancer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shah-asad-rizvi/through-synergy-of-intellect-artistry-and-grace-came-into-existence/) [Shah Asad Rizvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shah-asad-rizvi/) > [It's like, say you're a dancer and you've been studying modern dance your whole life so you're used to a certain aesthetic of music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jlin/it-s-like-say-you-re-a-dancer-and-you-ve-been-studying-modern-dance/) [Jlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jlin/) > [I would have to challenge the term, modern dance. I don't really use that term in relation to my work. I simply think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-would-have-to-challenge-the-term-modern-dance-i-don-t-really-use/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) ## More by Doris Humphrey > [Art is for stimulation, excitement, adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/art-is-for-stimulation-excitement-adventure/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) > [There are movements which impinge upon the nerves with a strength that is incomparable, for movement has power to stir the senses and emotions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/there-are-movements-which-impinge-upon-the-nerves-with-a-strength/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) > [The Dancer believes that his art has something to say which cannot be expressed in words or in any other way than by dancing...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/the-dancer-believes-that-his-art-has-something-to-say-which-cannot-be/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) > [The Dancer believes that his art has something to say which cannot be expressed in words or in any other way than by dancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/the-dancer-believes-that-his-art-has-something-to-say-which-cannot-be-2/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) > [Nothing so clearly and inevitably reveals the inner man than movement and gesture. It is quite possible, if one chooses, to conceal and dissimulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/nothing-so-clearly-and-inevitably-reveals-the-inner-man-than-movement/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) > [The person drawn to dance as profession is notoriously unintellectual. He thinks with his muscles, delights in expression with body, not words; finds analysis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/the-person-drawn-to-dance-as-profession-is-notoriously-unintellectual/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) > [Certainly we must be strong, but strength is, to me, not just a force, but rather a vocabulary of many means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/certainly-we-must-be-strong-but-strength-is-to-me-not-just-a-force/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) > [“How does one acquire confidence? Ask the psychologists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/how-does-one-acquire-confidence-ask-the-psychologists/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) > [Dance form is logical, but it is all in the realm of feeling, sensitivity and imagination...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/dance-form-is-logical-but-it-is-all-in-the-realm-of-feeling/) [Doris Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) [Explore all 10 Doris Humphrey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/) ## More Ballet dance quotes > [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/) > [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/) > [For ballet dancers, style is about melding personal expression with physical form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-helen-bowers/for-ballet-dancers-style-is-about-melding-personal-expression-with/) [Mary Helen Bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-helen-bowers/) > [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 always wanted to be an actor. I was one of those lucky kids - or cursed kids - who always knew what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-matheson/i-always-wanted-to-be-an-actor-i-was-one-of-those-lucky-kids-or/) [Tim Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-matheson/) > [No matter what people tell you, you should focus on your goals and you should do what you want to do, especially if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/no-matter-what-people-tell-you-you-should-focus-on-your-goals-and-you/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [I went to 'The Nutcracker' every year with my grandma and aunt. Then, in my early teen years, I thought I wanted to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinkx-monsoon/i-went-to-the-nutcracker-every-year-with-my-grandma-and-aunt-then-in/) [Jinkx Monsoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinkx-monsoon/) > [Ballet, dance, movement, performance - it is the bedrock of why I love to perform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-gladstone/ballet-dance-movement-performance-it-is-the-bedrock-of-why-i-love-to/) [Lily Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-gladstone/) > [Dance till the stars come down from the rafters Dance, Dance, Dance 'till you drop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/dance-till-the-stars-come-down-from-the-rafters-dance-dance-dance/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [In order to dance professionally, you have to start at a young age. No matter what, your muscle structure and your bones have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-chen/in-order-to-dance-professionally-you-have-to-start-at-a-young-age-no/) [Joan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-chen/) > [“The problem with telling people that they can do anything they want to do is that it is objectively, factually inaccurate. Otherwise the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/the-problem-with-telling-people-that-they-can-do-anything-they-want/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Kaito lurched forward, his opponent grabbing him an instant later, and both of them spun around the ring like two clumsy, obese ballet dancers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wells/kaito-lurched-forward-his-opponent-grabbing-him-an-instant-later-and/) [Mike Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wells/) > [I know that dancers, especially ballet dancers, can't do it forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-berglund/i-know-that-dancers-especially-ballet-dancers-can-t-do-it-forever/) [Kelli Berglund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-berglund/) > [Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It's the rhythym of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-d-amboise/dance-is-your-pulse-your-heartbeat-your-breathing-it-s-the-rhythym-of/) [Jacques d'Amboise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-d-amboise/) > [My life isn’t theories and formulae. It’s part instinct, part common sense. Logic is as good a word as any, and I’ve absorbed what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/my-life-isn-t-theories-and-formulae-it-s-part-instinct-part-common/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) [Browse all 162 Ballet dance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet-dance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are times when the simple dignity of movementcan fulfill the function of a volume of words.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Doris Humphrey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity-of-movementcan-fulfill-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ballet dance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity-of-movementcan-fulfill-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/doris-humphrey-42635_ballet-dance_there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity_1580507.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/doris-humphrey-42635_ballet-dance_there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity_1580507.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/doris-humphrey-42635_ballet-dance_there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity_1580507.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are times when the simple dignity of movementcan fulfill the function of a volume of words.” — Doris Humphrey", "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": "Doris Humphrey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-humphrey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are times when the simple...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity-of-movementcan-fulfill-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-humphrey/there-are-times-when-the-simple-dignity-of-movementcan-fulfill-the/#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 } } ] } ```