--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It takes ten years, usually, to make a…" description: "\"It takes ten years, usually, to make a dancer. It takes ten years of handling the instrument, handling the material with which you are dealing, for you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/martha-graham-2832_ballet_it-takes-ten-years-usually-to-make-a-dan_447311.png" --- # It takes ten years, usually, to make a dancer. It takes… ![“It takes ten years, usually, to make a dancer. It takes ten years of handling the instrument, handling the material with which you are dealing, for you to know it completely.” quote by Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/martha-graham-2832_ballet_it-takes-ten-years-usually-to-make-a-dan_447311.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/martha-graham-2832_ballet_it-takes-ten-years-usually-to-make-a-dan_447311.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/martha-graham-2832_ballet_it-takes-ten-years-usually-to-make-a-dan_447311.png) > “It takes ten years, usually, to make a dancer. It takes ten years of handling the instrument, handling the material with which you are dealing, for you to know it completely.” [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. Mastery requires years of dedicated practice with both body and material to achieve true understanding. **In simple terms:** Great skill comes from long, focused practice. Key Takeaway Commit to disciplined, long‑term training. Themes discipline mastery artistry practice Mood inspirational motivational Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - learning a dance form - musical instrument training - craftsmanship - professional development Key Concepts Embodiment skill acquisition muscle memory Questions to Reflect On - How many hours have you invested in your craft? - What practice methods deepen your mastery? A Different Perspective Talent alone is insufficient without sustained effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Pointe dancers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pointe-dancers/) ## Related quotes > [There is fatigue so great that the body cries, even in its sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/there-is-fatigue-so-great-that-the-body-cries-even-in-its-sleep/) [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/) > [Dancing appears glamorous, easy, delightful. But the path to paradise of the achievement is not easier than any other. There is fatigue so great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-graham/dancing-appears-glamorous-easy-delightful-but-the-path-to-paradise-of/) [Martha Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-graham/) > [Dance till the stars come down from the rafters Dance, Dance, Dance 'till you drop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/dance-till-the-stars-come-down-from-the-rafters-dance-dance-dance/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [There are likewise three kinds of dancers: first, those who consider dancing as a sort of gymnastic drill, made up of impersonal and graceful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isadora-duncan/there-are-likewise-three-kinds-of-dancers-first-those-who-consider/) [Isadora Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isadora-duncan/) > [There are three steps you have to complete to become a professional dancer: learn to dance, learn to perform, and learn how to cope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gere/there-are-three-steps-you-have-to-complete-to-become-a-professional/) David Gere > [Toe dancing is a dandy attention getter, second only to screaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-de-mille/toe-dancing-is-a-dandy-attention-getter-second-only-to-screaming/) [Agnes de Mille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-de-mille/) > [Technical perfection is insufficient. It is an orphan without the true soul of the dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/technical-perfection-is-insufficient-it-is-an-orphan-without-the-true/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [Dance, dance, dance till you drop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/dance-dance-dance-till-you-drop/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [I don't try to dance better than anybody but myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-don-t-try-to-dance-better-than-anybody-but-myself/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [People tend to look at dancers like we are these little jewels, little cardboard cut outs, and yet we have blood and guts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jaffe/people-tend-to-look-at-dancers-like-we-are-these-little-jewels-little/) Susan Jaffe > [Lightness of movement is the cardinal demand one has to make on a dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-thiess/lightness-of-movement-is-the-cardinal-demand-one-has-to-make-on-a/) Frank Thiess > [Any Michael Jackson song will make any dancer go nuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shum-jr/any-michael-jackson-song-will-make-any-dancer-go-nuts/) [Harry Shum, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shum-jr/) > [My pug dog, Princess , is something else; she's my baby. I've had her for about 14 and a half years. They usually don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-scott/my-pug-dog-princess-is-something-else-she-s-my-baby-i-ve-had-her-for/) [Jimmy Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-scott/) > [I write a book over a period of months or years, and when I'm done with it, usually another year goes by before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-haddix/i-write-a-book-over-a-period-of-months-or-years-and-when-i-m-done/) [Margaret Haddix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-haddix/) ## 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 Ballet quotes > [“Afterwards Isabelle often wondered if the moments themselves were greater or the memory of them. At least the memory did not pass, while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-bentley/afterwards-isabelle-often-wondered-if-the-moments-themselves-were/) [Toni Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-bentley/) > [One can be a great artist without being a great technician. There have been many famous ballet stars who did not have the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-bujones/one-can-be-a-great-artist-without-being-a-great-technician-there-have/) Fernando Bujones > [So I'm studying ballet every day and really training so people will see me as a ballet dancer, which no one's seen before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sutton-foster/so-i-m-studying-ballet-every-day-and-really-training-so-people-will/) [Sutton Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sutton-foster/) > [No matter the style, the farther one goes the more obstacles increase, and the more distant appears the object it is desired to attain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-georges-noverre/no-matter-the-style-the-farther-one-goes-the-more-obstacles-increase/) [Jean-Georges Noverre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-georges-noverre/) > [What I love most about ballet is being able to express my emotions through dance, and to be able to bring others joy through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/what-i-love-most-about-ballet-is-being-able-to-express-my-emotions/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [It is not a question of who dances but of who or what does not dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-not-a-question-of-who-dances-but-of-who-or-what-does-not-dance/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [Ballet is pure and demands that you serve something larger than yourself, whether it be beauty or art, or a combination of both. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-martins/ballet-is-pure-and-demands-that-you-serve-something-larger-than/) Peter Martins > [Even though I am a professional, and I know what the steps are, I don't quite know how I'm going to do them, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-farrell/even-though-i-am-a-professional-and-i-know-what-the-steps-are-i-don-t/) [Suzanne Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-farrell/) > [I'd rather be a guy that can build a house or fix a car than be able to walk like a ballet dancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/i-d-rather-be-a-guy-that-can-build-a-house-or-fix-a-car-than-be-able/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [When I was 16, I moved to Torrance, California to train at a more advanced studio, and by 19, I joined the American Ballet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/when-i-was-16-i-moved-to-torrance-california-to-train-at-a-more/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [Bob's work gleaned from hoofing, from vaudeville, from ballet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reinking/bob-s-work-gleaned-from-hoofing-from-vaudeville-from-ballet/) [Ann Reinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reinking/) > [You can imagine me as a kid growing up in redneck Texas with ballet shoes, tucking the violin under my arm. I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-swayze/you-can-imagine-me-as-a-kid-growing-up-in-redneck-texas-with-ballet/) [Patrick Swayze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-swayze/) > [I only started writing in the latter days of Spandau Ballet. I didnt know I could write because all had our roles within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hadley/i-only-started-writing-in-the-latter-days-of-spandau-ballet-i-didnt/) [Tony Hadley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hadley/) > [All ballet, all reading, all music. That was my world, my inner world,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-makarova/all-ballet-all-reading-all-music-that-was-my-world-my-inner-world/) [Natalia Makarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-makarova/) > [I can dance. I like hip hop and stuff and jazz movements, but I'm horrible in ballet. I tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keke-palmer/i-can-dance-i-like-hip-hop-and-stuff-and-jazz-movements-but-i-m/) [Keke Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keke-palmer/) [Browse all 1,227 Ballet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It takes ten years, usually, to make a dancer. 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