--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Slippery stages were the terror of my life." description: "\"Slippery stages were the terror of my life.\" — Fred Astaire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09d/fred-astaire-13151_dance_slippery-stages-were-the-terror-of-my-li_487618.png" --- # Slippery stages were the terror of my life. ![“Slippery stages were the terror of my life.” quote by Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09d/fred-astaire-13151_dance_slippery-stages-were-the-terror-of-my-li_487618.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09d/fred-astaire-13151_dance_slippery-stages-were-the-terror-of-my-li_487618.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09d/fred-astaire-13151_dance_slippery-stages-were-the-terror-of-my-li_487618.png) > “Slippery stages were the terror of my life.” [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The stages of life feel precarious and frightening, akin to slippery platforms that threaten stability. **In simple terms:** Life’s phases can feel dangerous and unstable. Key Takeaway Navigate change with caution and confidence. Themes growth risk adaptation Mood determined optimistic Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - career transitions - personal growth - new relationships - skill acquisition Key Concepts stability fear learning Questions to Reflect On - What “slippery stage” are you facing now? - How can you turn fear into motivation? 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It takes a few hours for the creases to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hardy/being-in-the-latter-stages-of-life-means-the-morning-is-unkind-to-the/) [Jeremy Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hardy/) > [War, we are told, shapes character; it resolves the major questions of international politics, consolidates nations, and indeed, constitutes the principal factor in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-ducommun/war-we-are-told-shapes-character-it-resolves-the-major-questions-of/) Elie Ducommun > [Yes, the experience of all stages of life are valuable, not just of youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-petrie/yes-the-experience-of-all-stages-of-life-are-valuable-not-just-of/) [Daniel Petrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-petrie/) ## More by Fred Astaire > [People think I was born in top hat and tails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/people-think-i-was-born-in-top-hat-and-tails/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [I just put my feet in the air and move them around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/i-just-put-my-feet-in-the-air-and-move-them-around/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [It takes time to get a dance right, to create something memorable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/it-takes-time-to-get-a-dance-right-to-create-something-memorable/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [“When a clumsy cloud from here, meets a fluffy little cloud from there, he billows towards her. She scurries away, and he scuds right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/when-a-clumsy-cloud-from-here-meets-a-fluffy-little-cloud-from-there/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [There comes a day when people begin to say, 'Why doesn't that old duffer retire?' I want to get out while they're still saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/there-comes-a-day-when-people-begin-to-say-why-doesn-t-that-old/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [We attend to his later performances as a dramatic actor with respect, but watching the nondancing, nonsinging Astaire is like watching a grounded skylark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/we-attend-to-his-later-performances-as-a-dramatic-actor-with-respect/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [Oh, there's no such thing as my favorite performance. I can't sit here today and look back, and say, Top Hat was better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/oh-there-s-no-such-thing-as-my-favorite-performance-i-can-t-sit-here/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [In dealing with a girl or a horse, one lets nature take its course](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/in-dealing-with-a-girl-or-a-horse-one-lets-nature-take-its-course/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [If it doesn't look easy it is that we have not tried hard enough yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/if-it-doesn-t-look-easy-it-is-that-we-have-not-tried-hard-enough-yet/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [I just put my feet in the ground and move them around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/i-just-put-my-feet-in-the-ground-and-move-them-around/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [It's nice that all the composers have said that nobody interprets a lyric like Fred Astaire. But when it comes to selling records I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/it-s-nice-that-all-the-composers-have-said-that-nobody-interprets-a/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [I have never had anything that I can remember in the business - and that includes all the movies and the stage shows and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/i-have-never-had-anything-that-i-can-remember-in-the-business-and/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [The unpadded shoulders, the three-buttoned long and boxy coat, the too-short, thin pants, and the thin ties with striped buttoned shirts in dark colors-well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/the-unpadded-shoulders-the-three-buttoned-long-and-boxy-coat-the-too/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [But I do nothing that I don't like, such as "inventing" up to the arty or "down" to the corny. I happen to relish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/but-i-do-nothing-that-i-don-t-like-such-as-inventing-up-to-the-arty/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [I have no desire to prove anything by my work. I have never used it as an outlet or as a means of expressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/i-have-no-desire-to-prove-anything-by-my-work-i-have-never-used-it-as/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) [Explore all 51 Fred Astaire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) ## 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. 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