--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Would you just strap some toe shoes on…" description: "\"Would you just strap some toe shoes on and dance 'Swan Lake?' No. Would you just put a violin in your hand and - ? No. I felt that way about acting, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/ellen-barkin-14080_acting_would-you-just-strap-some-toe-shoes-on-a_2819571.jpg" --- # Would you just strap some toe shoes on and dance 'Swan… ![“Would you just strap some toe shoes on and dance 'Swan Lake?' No. Would you just put a violin in your hand and - ? No. I felt that way about acting, and I was taught to feel that way. I didn't come to it on my own.” quote by Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/ellen-barkin-14080_acting_would-you-just-strap-some-toe-shoes-on-a_2819571.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/ellen-barkin-14080_acting_would-you-just-strap-some-toe-shoes-on-a_2819571.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/ellen-barkin-14080_acting_would-you-just-strap-some-toe-shoes-on-a_2819571.jpg) > “Would you just strap some toe shoes on and dance 'Swan Lake?' No. Would you just put a violin in your hand and - ? No. I felt that way about acting, and I was taught to feel that way. I didn't come to it on my own.” [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compares acting to demanding physical tasks, emphasizing learned discipline. **In simple terms:** Acting requires trained discipline. Key Takeaway Respect the craft’s rigor. Themes art discipline training Mood serious motivational Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - theatre classes - film workshops - personal practice Key Concepts method acting skill acquisition Questions to Reflect On - What training best develops acting skill? - How to balance discipline with creativity? A Different Perspective May undervalue natural talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Felt Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-way/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoes/) [Swan lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swan-lake/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [Taught Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-feel-308043/) [Violin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violin/) [Violin Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violin-hand-3579981/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I was trying to write then and I found the greatest difficulty, aside from knowing what you really felt, rather that what you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-was-trying-to-write-then-and-i-found-the-greatest-difficulty-aside-2/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I miss you not because you miss me but because you taught me how to feel the emptiness when you are not here .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-you-not-because-you-miss-me-but-because-you-taught-me-how-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“So it is with the places preparing to teach us. 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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/) > [Once you become a professional, to get through a ballet like 'Swan Lake' - four acts as the lead, changing character - the perseverance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/once-you-become-a-professional-to-get-through-a-ballet-like-swan-lake/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [Technical things are getting more mechanical. Take 'Swan Lake,' the Black Swan pas de deux. Now, my goodness, they're turning not just 32 fouettes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-makarova/technical-things-are-getting-more-mechanical-take-swan-lake-the-black/) [Natalia Makarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-makarova/) > [“Peter smiled as Concheetah sashayed across the ballroom floor Concheetah sashayed towards him, wriggling her hips, full lips in a pout, followed obediently by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-w-lawless/peter-smiled-as-concheetah-sashayed-across-the-ballroom-floor/) [T.W. Lawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-w-lawless/) > [“He had danced with fair maidens before, but Odette was different. She was graceful and beautiful, but there was something in her eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-dickerson/he-had-danced-with-fair-maidens-before-but-odette-was-different-she/) [Melanie Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-dickerson/) ## More by Ellen Barkin > [There is a certain androgyny to my appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/there-is-a-certain-androgyny-to-my-appeal/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [You've got a movie where the pro-choice family gives their daughter no choice. The pro-life family murders. What seems to be the good mother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/you-ve-got-a-movie-where-the-pro-choice-family-gives-their-daughter/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [I just would never go audition, and yet I was in very visible places where people would come looking for actors. 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I had my two front teeth knocked out when I was 10 and didn't fix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/it-is-clear-i-was-never-the-pretty-girl-i-had-my-two-front-teeth/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [No more bare bodies in film scenes for me. For my children's sake, I must stop. The other kids at school keep throwing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/no-more-bare-bodies-in-film-scenes-for-me-for-my-children-s-sake-i/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [I'm tenacious, I think - I know - and I do also have a quality where if you tell me I can't do something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/i-m-tenacious-i-think-i-know-and-i-do-also-have-a-quality-where-if/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [The way Hollywood portrays mothers - you're either all good and saint-like, or you're all bad. And I think the real honesty of motherhood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/the-way-hollywood-portrays-mothers-you-re-either-all-good-and-saint/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [You can't go back again, even if you wanted to. But you can own your own life, mistakes and all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/you-can-t-go-back-again-even-if-you-wanted-to-but-you-can-own-your/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [I'm a little more extreme than a homebody. Unless there's some event I really have to go to, I don't like to leave my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/i-m-a-little-more-extreme-than-a-homebody-unless-there-s-some-event-i/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [Men who love their mothers treat women wonderfully. And they have enormous respect for women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/men-who-love-their-mothers-treat-women-wonderfully-and-they-have/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [My nickname was Skinabo - skin and bones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/my-nickname-was-skinabo-skin-and-bones/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [I remember my first friend who got sick. It was 1981, and the disease was called the gay cancer. I don't think the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/i-remember-my-first-friend-who-got-sick-it-was-1981-and-the-disease/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) > [I'm just curious, who's more fit to raise a child? A loving committed same-sex couple or an unmarried 15-year-old with no income and really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-barkin/i-m-just-curious-who-s-more-fit-to-raise-a-child-a-loving-committed/) [Ellen Barkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) [Explore all 48 Ellen Barkin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-barkin/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Would you just strap some toe shoes on and dance 'Swan Lake?' No. Would you just put a violin in your hand and - ? No. I felt that way about acting, and I was taught to feel that way. 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