--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have spent all my life with dance and…" description: "\"I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. It's permitting life to use you in a very intense way. Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/martha-graham-2832_dance_i-have-spent-all-my-life-with-dance-and_1801698.png" --- # I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer… ![“I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. It's permitting life to use you in a very intense way. Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes it is fearful. But nevertheless it is inevitable.” quote by Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/martha-graham-2832_dance_i-have-spent-all-my-life-with-dance-and_1801698.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/martha-graham-2832_dance_i-have-spent-all-my-life-with-dance-and_1801698.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/312/martha-graham-2832_dance_i-have-spent-all-my-life-with-dance-and_1801698.png) > “I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. It's permitting life to use you in a very intense way. Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes it is fearful. But nevertheless it is inevitable.” [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dance demands surrender to intense, sometimes uncomfortable, but inevitable artistic forces. **In simple terms:** Dance is intense, sometimes scary, but unavoidable. Key Takeaway Accept and work through artistic challenges. Themes artistic dedication intensity inevitability Mood introspective determined Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - performances - rehearsals - creative blocks - career decisions Key Concepts vulnerability fear passion discipline Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with artistic fear? - When is intensity productive? A Different Perspective Intensity can cause burnout if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dance Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance-dancer-2037514/) [Dance is life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance-is-life/) [Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer/) [Dancer Permitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer-permitting-2037515/) [Fearful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fearful/) [Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitable/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-dance/) [Nevertheless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nevertheless/) [Pleasant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasant/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [You can be Eastern or Burmese or what have you, but the function of the body and the awareness of the body results in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/you-can-be-eastern-or-burmese-or-what-have-you-but-the-function-of/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [Dancing is just discovery, discovery, discovery - what it all means, the way the little bone near the ankle relates itself to the floor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/dancing-is-just-discovery-discovery-discovery-what-it-all-means-the/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [Dance is the hidden langauge of the soul, of the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/dance-is-the-hidden-langauge-of-the-soul-of-the-body/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/there-is-a-vitality-a-life-force-a-quickening-that-is-translated-2/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [I like to dance, but I'm not a dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-like-to-dance-but-i-m-not-a-dancer/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [I like to mix it up, so I do Parkour, play football, dance... I am a dancer, essentially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishaan-khatter/i-like-to-mix-it-up-so-i-do-parkour-play-football-dance-i-am-a-dancer/) [Ishaan Khatter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishaan-khatter/) > [Being a fan of dance and a dancer, I love my classic dance movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-boss/being-a-fan-of-dance-and-a-dancer-i-love-my-classic-dance-movies/) [Stephen Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-boss/) > [You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/you-can-be-creative-only-if-you-love-life-enough-that-you-want-to/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The dance is strong magic. The body can fly without wings. It can sing without voice. The dance is strong magic. The dance is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-primus/the-dance-is-strong-magic-the-body-can-fly-without-wings-it-can-sing/) [Pearl Primus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-primus/) > [On many occasions when I am dancing I've felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/on-many-occasions-when-i-am-dancing-i-ve-felt-touched-by-something/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It's the rhythym of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-d-amboise/dance-is-your-pulse-your-heartbeat-your-breathing-it-s-the-rhythym-of/) [Jacques d'Amboise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-d-amboise/) > [The dance is the mother of the arts. Music and poetry exist in time; painting and architecture in space. But the dance lives at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-sachs/the-dance-is-the-mother-of-the-arts-music-and-poetry-exist-in-time/) [Curt Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-sachs/) > [Dance is like life. It exists as you are flitting through it, and when it's over, it's done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-robbins/dance-is-like-life-it-exists-as-you-are-flitting-through-it-and-when/) [Jerome Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-robbins/) > [Dancing is moving to the music without stepping on anyone's toes, pretty much the same as life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/dancing-is-moving-to-the-music-without-stepping-on-anyone-s-toes/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Dance ... is life, or becomes it, in a way that other arts cannot attain. It is not in stone, or words or tones,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baker-brownell/dance-is-life-or-becomes-it-in-a-way-that-other-arts-cannot-attain-it/) [Baker Brownell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baker-brownell/) ## More by Martha Graham > [The body never lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/the-body-never-lies/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [You have no right to go before a public without an adequate technique, just because you feel. Anything feels - a leaf feels, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/you-have-no-right-to-go-before-a-public-without-an-adequate-technique/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/there-is-a-vitality-a-life-force-an-energy-a-quickening-that-is/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [Misery is a communicable disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/misery-is-a-communicable-disease/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [People have asked me why I chose to be a dancer. I did not choose. I was chosen to be a dancer, and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/people-have-asked-me-why-i-chose-to-be-a-dancer-i-did-not-choose-i/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [All things I do are in every woman. Every woman is Medea. Every woman is Jocasta. There comes a time when a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/all-things-i-do-are-in-every-woman-every-woman-is-medea-every-woman/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [The body is shaped, disciplined, honored, and in time, trusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/the-body-is-shaped-disciplined-honored-and-in-time-trusted/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [The secret to dancing is that it is about everything except dancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/the-secret-to-dancing-is-that-it-is-about-everything-except-dancing/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [What makes a great dancer is not technique. What makes a great dancer is passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/what-makes-a-great-dancer-is-not-technique-what-makes-a-great-dancer/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [The body is a sacred garment. It's your first and last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/the-body-is-a-sacred-garment-it-s-your-first-and-last-garment-it-is/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [You are unique, and if that is not fulfilled, then something has been lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/you-are-unique-and-if-that-is-not-fulfilled-then-something-has-been/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [You see, when weaving a blanket, an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/you-see-when-weaving-a-blanket-an-indian-woman-leaves-a-flaw-in-the/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [Dancing is just discovery, discovery, discovery - what it all means, the way the little bone near the ankle relates itself to the floor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/dancing-is-just-discovery-discovery-discovery-what-it-all-means-the/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [Theater used to be a verb; it used to be an act. But nowadays it is just a noun. It is a place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/theater-used-to-be-a-verb-it-used-to-be-an-act-but-nowadays-it-is/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [There is a force, a quickness that is translated through you into action. If you block it, the world will not have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/there-is-a-force-a-quickness-that-is-translated-through-you-into/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) [Explore all 148 Martha Graham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) ## 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": "I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. 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