---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All dancing is now is standing in place…"
description: "\"All dancing is now is standing in place and letting the devil of the music enter you.\" — John Updike"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/john-updike-396_dance_all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place_695766.png"
---

#  All dancing is now is standing in place and letting the…

![“All dancing is now is standing in place and letting the devil of the music enter you.” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/john-updike-396_dance_all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place_695766.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/john-updike-396_dance_all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place_695766.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/john-updike-396_dance_all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place_695766.png)

> “All dancing is now is standing in place and letting the devil of the music enter you.”

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Dancing is a form of stillness that allows music to move through you, merging motion and sound.

**In simple terms:** Dancing is stillness that lets music enter you.

Key Takeaway

Embrace movement as a way to feel music deeply.

Themes

art expression mindfulness

Mood

contemplative inspired

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- dance class
- personal meditation
- performance art

Key Concepts

embodiment rhythm presence

Questions to Reflect On

- How can stillness enhance your musical experience?
- What does “devil of the music” mean to you?

A Different Perspective

Physical movement may not capture the same depth for everyone.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/)

## Related quotes

> [Sold my soul to Satan. I've been dancing with the devil. So when you get to hell you can say you know me. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-cole-2/sold-my-soul-to-satan-i-ve-been-dancing-with-the-devil-so-when-you/)

[J. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-cole-2/)

> [“I'm letting the devil prick me with his horns and I'm enjoying every minute of it. The secrets are out of the bag and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-m-stunich/i-m-letting-the-devil-prick-me-with-his-horns-and-i-m-enjoying-every/)

[C.M. Stunich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-m-stunich/)

> [“History doesn't repeat itself, but it harmonizes, and what it usually makes is the devil's music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/history-doesn-t-repeat-itself-but-it-harmonizes-and-what-it-usually/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Rock has always been THE DEVIL'S MUSIC . . . I believe rock and roll is dangerous . . . I feel we're only heralding SOMETHING EVEN DARKER THAN OURSELVES.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/rock-has-always-been-the-devil-s-music-i-believe-rock-and-roll-is/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [I was roundly criticized for being in and around rock &amp; roll music at its inception. It was the devil's music: it would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-clark/i-was-roundly-criticized-for-being-in-and-around-rock-roll-music-at/)

[Dick Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-clark/)

> [Rock n' roll is the Devil's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-skiba/rock-n-roll-is-the-devil-s-music/)

[Matt Skiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-skiba/)

> [Rock has always been the devil's music... I believe that rock &amp; roll is dangerous... I feel that we're only heralding something even darker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/rock-has-always-been-the-devil-s-music-i-believe-that-rock-roll-is/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [They tell us "Rock'n'roll is the devil's music." Well, let's say we know that rock is the devil's music, and we know that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/they-tell-us-rock-n-roll-is-the-devil-s-music-well-let-s-say-we-know/)

[Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/)

> [“If Rock N Roll really is devil music, then Hell just became more appealing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/if-rock-n-roll-really-is-devil-music-then-hell-just-became-more/)

[Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/)

> [Our murmuring is the devil's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/our-murmuring-is-the-devil-s-music/)

[Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/)

> [Anytime something makes money, no matter how outré, it's instantly mainstream. A good example is rock 'n' roll. When rock 'n' roll was first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/anytime-something-makes-money-no-matter-how-outr-it-s-instantly/)

[John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/)

> [Rock's always been the devil's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/rock-s-always-been-the-devil-s-music/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [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 started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/)

[Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/)

> [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/)

## More by John Updike

> [Life is a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs unless you fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/life-is-a-roller-coaster-you-have-your-ups-and-downs-unless-you-fall/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [The New England spirit does not seek solutions in a crowd; raw light and solitariness are less dreaded than welcomed as enhancers of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-new-england-spirit-does-not-seek-solutions-in-a-crowd-raw-light/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [I imagine most of that stuff on the information highway is roadkill anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-imagine-most-of-that-stuff-on-the-information-highway-is-roadkill/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [Families, doing everything for each other out of imagined obligation and always getting in each other's way, what a tangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/families-doing-everything-for-each-other-out-of-imagined-obligation/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [“The fucking world is running out of gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-fucking-world-is-running-out-of-gas/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [The theme of old age doesn't seem to fascinate Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-theme-of-old-age-doesn-t-seem-to-fascinate-hollywood/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [“The mind cannot fall asleep as long as it watches itself. Only when the mind moves unwatched and becomes absorbed in images that tug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-mind-cannot-fall-asleep-as-long-as-it-watches-itself-only-when/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [“it was somehow wonderful of her to be, in every detail, herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-was-somehow-wonderful-of-her-to-be-in-every-detail-herself/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [In fiction, imaginary people become realer to us than any named celebrity glimpsed in a series of rumored events, whose causes and subtler ramifications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/in-fiction-imaginary-people-become-realer-to-us-than-any-named/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [“Her hair had been going gray as long as he could remember; she bundled it behind in a bun held with hairpins that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/her-hair-had-been-going-gray-as-long-as-he-could-remember-she-bundled/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [Possession diminishes perception of value, immediately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/possession-diminishes-perception-of-value-immediately/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [I can't bear to finish things, beyond a certain point they get heavy. There's something so dead about a finished painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-can-t-bear-to-finish-things-beyond-a-certain-point-they-get-heavy/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [“Some people find fall depressing, others hate spring. I've always been a spring person myself. All that growth, you can feel Nature groaning, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/some-people-find-fall-depressing-others-hate-spring-i-ve-always-been/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

[Explore all 592 John Updike quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

## 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. I used to just throw on a backpack full of rocks and run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-du-beke/being-fit-is-the-easiest-part-of-being-a-dance-professional-i-used-to/)

[Anton du Beke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-du-beke/)

> [I'm a horrible dancer, but I wanted to record songs that made me want to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lane/i-m-a-horrible-dancer-but-i-wanted-to-record-songs-that-made-me-want/)

[Chris Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lane/)

[Browse all 9,682 Dance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "All dancing is now is standing in place and letting the devil of the music enter you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Updike"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place-and-letting-the-devil-of-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place-and-letting-the-devil-of-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/john-updike-396_dance_all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place_695766.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/john-updike-396_dance_all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place_695766.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/john-updike-396_dance_all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place_695766.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“All dancing is now is standing in place and letting the devil of the music enter you.” — John Updike",
                "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": "John Updike",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "All dancing is now is standing...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place-and-letting-the-devil-of-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/all-dancing-is-now-is-standing-in-place-and-letting-the-devil-of-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
