Ballet Quote by George Balanchine
“I can always invent movement, and sometimes it can be fitted into the right place, but that is not choreography. It is the music that dictates the whole shape of the work. I do not believe in the permanence of anything in ballet save the purely classical.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Dance and Music, 1978
Music, not choreography, defines ballet's structure; permanence exists only in classical forms.
In simple terms: Music shapes ballet, not choreography.
Key Takeaway
Let music guide your creative work.
Themes
art
music
dance
impermanence
tradition
Mood
inspired
analytical
Type
artistic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- choreographing
- learning ballet
- creating performances
- studying classics
Key Concepts
aesthetics
performance theory
history of ballet
Questions to Reflect On
- How does music influence your creative process?
- Can tradition coexist with innovation?
A Different Perspective
May limit experimental innovation; classical bias.
