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Beauty Quote by Leonard Cohen

“SIT IN A CHAIR AND KEEP still. Let the dancer’s shoulders emerge from your shoulders, the dancer’s chest from your chest, the dancer’s loins from your loins, the dancer’s hips and thighs from yours; and from your silence the throat that makes a sound, and from your bafflement a clear song to which…” quote by Leonard Cohen
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““SIT IN A CHAIR AND KEEP still. Let the dancer’s shoulders emerge from your shoulders, the dancer’s chest from your chest, the dancer’s loins from your loins, the dancer’s hips and thighs from yours; and from your silence the throat that makes a sound, and from your bafflement a clear song to which the dancer moves, and let him serve God in beauty.””

Leonard Cohen

About This Quote

Source Poem: “The Dancer” (excerpt), 1995, from “The Book of Longing”

The passage invites the reader to become a conduit for the dancer’s expression, merging self with art to serve a higher aesthetic purpose.

In simple terms: Merge yourself with the dancer to create beauty.

Key Takeaway

Allow your silence to become a channel for artistic expression.

Themes

art spirituality embodiment creativity self‑transcendence

Mood

inspirational contemplative

Type

philosophical poetic

When to use this quote

  • dance practice
  • meditation
  • creative collaboration
  • spiritual retreat

Key Concepts

embodiment vulnerability divine inspiration performance art

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you embody another’s art without losing yourself?
  • What does “serving God in beauty” mean to you?
A Different Perspective

The directive may be impractical for those untrained in dance or spiritual practice.

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