--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I danced with passion to spite the music." description: "\"I danced with passion to spite the music.\" — Gelsey Kirkland" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/gelsey-kirkland-27575_ballet_i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music_1057923.png" --- # I danced with passion to spite the music. ![“I danced with passion to spite the music.” quote by Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/gelsey-kirkland-27575_ballet_i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music_1057923.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/gelsey-kirkland-27575_ballet_i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music_1057923.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/gelsey-kirkland-27575_ballet_i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music_1057923.png) > “I danced with passion to spite the music.” [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She performed passionately, deliberately defying the music’s mood to assert her own artistic voice. **In simple terms:** Danced passionately against the music. Key Takeaway Assert personal expression over external cues. Themes dance artistic defiance passion Mood dramatic defiant Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - stage performance - personal expression - artistic rebellion Key Concepts performance art creative autonomy Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to challenge the intended mood? - How does defiance enhance artistic authenticity? A Different Perspective May alienate audiences expecting harmony with music. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite/) ## Related quotes > [And then he danced,-all foreigners excel the serious Angels in the eloquence of pantomime;-he danced, I say, right well, with emphasis, and a'so with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/and-then-he-danced-all-foreigners-excel-the-serious-angels-in-the/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [I remember playing with some friends and being aware that I was acting as I was playing with them - I would think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-remember-playing-with-some-friends-and-being-aware-that-i-was/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [I had danced with Janet Jackson and P. Diddy so I had done a bunch of hip hop. Really and truly my roots are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-dewan/i-had-danced-with-janet-jackson-and-p-diddy-so-i-had-done-a-bunch-of/) [Jenna Dewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-dewan/) > [I danced with the Ballet Russe in Paris when I was 16 and did not need a companion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyd-charisse/i-danced-with-the-ballet-russe-in-paris-when-i-was-16-and-did-not/) [Cyd Charisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyd-charisse/) > [Prayer is like practicing the piano or ballet or writing: you have to bring your body for a very long time, in spite of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-king/prayer-is-like-practicing-the-piano-or-ballet-or-writing-you-have-to/) [Heather King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-king/) > [I studied the way I danced- to the point of dropping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/i-studied-the-way-i-danced-to-the-point-of-dropping/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [I never taught people where to step on '2', because when I learned how to dance there was no '2'. We just danced to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-manning/i-never-taught-people-where-to-step-on-2-because-when-i-learned-how/) [Frankie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-manning/) > [“So, drenched and downing champagne, I danced a rather demented waltz-cum-jig with a young bride I'd never met before in a place I'd never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-irwin/so-drenched-and-downing-champagne-i-danced-a-rather-demented-waltz/) Colin Irwin > [I danced through chemo and radiation cycles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-shankar-jayant/i-danced-through-chemo-and-radiation-cycles/) Ananda Shankar Jayant > [“One stood behind me and ran her hands down my chest, her breasts rubbing against my back. The next stood in front of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadie-grubor/one-stood-behind-me-and-ran-her-hands-down-my-chest-her-breasts/) [Sadie Grubor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadie-grubor/) > [I particularly enjoy cello music because our daughter plays the cello. I have listened to her practice for so many hours that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/i-particularly-enjoy-cello-music-because-our-daughter-plays-the-cello/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [“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/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [I decided to lock myself in. A forced segregation. Sabbatical. A retreat into myself. My selves. Play hide and go seek in the looking-glass.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/i-decided-to-lock-myself-in-a-forced-segregation-sabbatical-a-retreat/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [You have all this stuff going on in your head, like, 'I can't believe seven years has gone by, and I'm going to miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/you-have-all-this-stuff-going-on-in-your-head-like-i-can-t-believe/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) ## More by Gelsey Kirkland > [There was a stage when Balanchine and I didn't talk. I was trying to develop my classical technique as opposed to the fast-track technique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/there-was-a-stage-when-balanchine-and-i-didn-t-talk-i-was-trying-to/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [The nature of my compulsion was such that I danced in my sleep. The entire household was sometimes awakened by loud thumping sounds coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/the-nature-of-my-compulsion-was-such-that-i-danced-in-my-sleep-the/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [... each action taken in this world has its echo in the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/each-action-taken-in-this-world-has-its-echo-in-the-heart/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [The voices of moral authority in the theatre demanded only punctuality and physical performance. In the light of continuing pressure and stress, the occasional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/the-voices-of-moral-authority-in-the-theatre-demanded-only/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [Classical virtuosity is more than technique, line, proportion, and balance. It is as if the performer and spectator come together to hold in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/classical-virtuosity-is-more-than-technique-line-proportion-and/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [In saying my prayers, I discovered the voice of an innermost self, the raw nerve of my identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/in-saying-my-prayers-i-discovered-the-voice-of-an-innermost-self-the/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [The dance goes on forever. So shall I. So shall we.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/the-dance-goes-on-forever-so-shall-i-so-shall-we/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [Ballet is a riddle of means and ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/ballet-is-a-riddle-of-means-and-ends/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [When you are on stage you are having an affair with three thousand people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/when-you-are-on-stage-you-are-having-an-affair-with-three-thousand/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [Fortunately for children, the uncertainties of the present always give way to the enchanted possibilities of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/fortunately-for-children-the-uncertainties-of-the-present-always-give/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [At this stage of my life I would rather try and have some small impact within a company and suffer through those things than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/at-this-stage-of-my-life-i-would-rather-try-and-have-some-small/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [As soon as you become afraid to make a fool of yourself, you're in trouble. I decided I may as well just see if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/as-soon-as-you-become-afraid-to-make-a-fool-of-yourself-you-re-in/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [The first year with ABT I learned 13 new roles. Most were lengthy ballets, more complicated than I was used to. I have suffered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/the-first-year-with-abt-i-learned-13-new-roles-most-were-lengthy/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [I embarked on a risky course of plastic surgery and silicone injections, major dental realignments and gruesome medical procedures. I pray that young dancers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/i-embarked-on-a-risky-course-of-plastic-surgery-and-silicone/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) > [You've got to break through this idea of being light as a ballerina. The heavier you'll feel, the lighter you'll look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/you-ve-got-to-break-through-this-idea-of-being-light-as-a-ballerina/) [Gelsey Kirkland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) [Explore all 20 Gelsey Kirkland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/) ## 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 > [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 > [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": "I danced with passion to spite the music.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gelsey Kirkland" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ballet" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/gelsey-kirkland-27575_ballet_i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music_1057923.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/gelsey-kirkland-27575_ballet_i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music_1057923.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/gelsey-kirkland-27575_ballet_i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music_1057923.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I danced with passion to spite the music.” — Gelsey Kirkland", "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": "Gelsey Kirkland", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelsey-kirkland/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I danced with passion to spite...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelsey-kirkland/i-danced-with-passion-to-spite-the-music/#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 } } ] } ```