Dance Quote by Isadora Duncan
““I bring you the dance. I bring you the idea that is going to revolutionise our entire epoch. Where have I discovered it? By the Pacific Ocean, but the waving pine-forests of Sierra Nevada. I have seen the ideal figure of youthful American dancing over the top of the Rockies. The supreme poet of our country is Walt Whitman. I have discovered the dance that is worthy of the poem of Walt Whitman. I am indeed the spiritual daughter of Walt Whitman. For the children of America I will create a new dance that will express America. I bring to your theatre the vital soul that it lacks, the soul of the dancer. For you know...that the birth of the theatre was the dance, that the first actor was the dancer. He danced and sang. That was the birth of the tragedy, and until the dancer in all his spontaneous great art returns to the theatre, your theatre will not live in its true expression!””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on dance, 1912, New York City
She argues that dance is the essential soul of theatre and should embody American spirit, linking it to Whitman's poetry and the origins of tragedy.
In simple terms: Dance is the heart of theatre and should reflect American vitality.
Key Takeaway
Embrace dance as a vital, expressive art form.
Themes
art
theatre
national identity
creativity
Mood
inspired
passionate
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- theatre productions
- dance education
- cultural festivals
- performance art
- community workshops
Key Concepts
expressionism
Americanism
ritual
origin myths
Questions to Reflect On
- How can dance revitalize modern theatre?
- What does “American spirit” mean in artistic expression?
A Different Perspective
Some may view this as overly romanticizing dance’s role, ignoring practical constraints.
![“[Walt] Whitman would never get in the way of a boy trying to get off with another boy. Bros before prose.” quote by Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a91/lisa-henry-8958_catchphrases_walt-whitman-would-never-get-in-the-way_1121107.jpg)
