--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I miss horribly those couple of hours…" description: "\"I miss horribly those couple of hours before the performance when you get into the theater and you see people.\" — Mikhail Baryshnikov" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/mikhail-baryshnikov-3526_before_i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-be_2913277.png" --- # I miss horribly those couple of hours before the… ![“I miss horribly those couple of hours before the performance when you get into the theater and you see people.” quote by Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/mikhail-baryshnikov-3526_before_i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-be_2913277.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/mikhail-baryshnikov-3526_before_i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-be_2913277.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/mikhail-baryshnikov-3526_before_i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-be_2913277.png) > “I miss horribly those couple of hours before the performance when you get into the theater and you see people.” [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Before a performance, observing the audience creates anticipation and emotional connection. **In simple terms:** Audience observation fuels performance anticipation. Key Takeaway Embrace pre‑show audience awareness. Themes performance anticipation connection Mood excited introspective Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - theater rehearsals - concerts - public speaking - dance shows Key Concepts stage presence empathy audience dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does audience energy affect you? - What rituals help you focus before a show? A Different Perspective Audience may be distracting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [When you do theater, you have to go right after and talk to people. When you do a movie, it's been months since you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-gordon/when-you-do-theater-you-have-to-go-right-after-and-talk-to-people/) [Molly Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-gordon/) > [Since they are theater people, they are all talking. All of them. Simultaneously. They do not need to be heard; they only need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/since-they-are-theater-people-they-are-all-talking-all-of-them/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Theater people and normal people sometimes speak a completely different language, but if they come together, there's a lot of mutual love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-gordon/theater-people-and-normal-people-sometimes-speak-a-completely/) [Molly Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-gordon/) > [You'd have to go all the way back to 1972 to find a version of me who didn't care about theater, who didn't read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/you-d-have-to-go-all-the-way-back-to-1972-to-find-a-version-of-me-who/) [Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/) > [Comedy people are always present because they're always looking for the funniest version of whatever the line is. Sometimes theater people, where scripts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-dowd/comedy-people-are-always-present-because-they-re-always-looking-for/) [Chris O'Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-dowd/) > [Theater people work by instinct. I've never known a really calculated artistic decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goodwin/theater-people-work-by-instinct-i-ve-never-known-a-really-calculated/) John Goodwin > [I thought theater people wouldn't see me if I hadn't trained. I didn't want to just be the Brideshead guy, to spend the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/i-thought-theater-people-wouldn-t-see-me-if-i-hadn-t-trained-i-didn-t/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [I love theater. 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I try to be as unprofessional as possible. And I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-humphries/i-hate-it-when-theater-people-go-on-about-professionalism-aren-t-they/) [Barry Humphries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-humphries/) > [Just as theater has to be where people live, actors have to go out in the marketplace - not be cut off by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waite/just-as-theater-has-to-be-where-people-live-actors-have-to-go-out-in/) [Ralph Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waite/) > [I work in musical theater because people keep writing quality stories in the genre, and I'm really all about investing in a piece that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-victor-dixon/i-work-in-musical-theater-because-people-keep-writing-quality-stories/) [Brandon Victor Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-victor-dixon/) ## More by Mikhail Baryshnikov > [I am not the first straight dancer or the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-am-not-the-first-straight-dancer-or-the-last/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [Working is living to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/working-is-living-to-me/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [I was always interested in photography and other forms of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-was-always-interested-in-photography-and-other-forms-of-art/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [In the second part of life you get rid of stuff you've accumulated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/in-the-second-part-of-life-you-get-rid-of-stuff-you-ve-accumulated/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [You don't measure life by receiving awards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/you-don-t-measure-life-by-receiving-awards/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [No one is born a dancer. You have to want it more than anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/no-one-is-born-a-dancer-you-have-to-want-it-more-than-anything/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [I want to do exactly what I want to do. I'd rather gamble on the box office than beg for a grant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-want-to-do-exactly-what-i-want-to-do-i-d-rather-gamble-on-the-box/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [I always had a kind of strange relationship with New York City, with total love affair in the beginning then retreat during the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-always-had-a-kind-of-strange-relationship-with-new-york-city-with/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [Running a company is pretty demanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/running-a-company-is-pretty-demanding/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [I like the most provocative and most surprising partnerships on stage. Intensity and surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-like-the-most-provocative-and-most-surprising-partnerships-on-stage/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [When a body moves, it's the most revealing thing. Dance for me a minute, and I'll tell you who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/when-a-body-moves-it-s-the-most-revealing-thing-dance-for-me-a-minute/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [I - you know, I'm not an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-you-know-i-m-not-an-actor/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [If your only dance experience is the Nutcracker, it will be a shock; hopefully shocking in a good way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/if-your-only-dance-experience-is-the-nutcracker-it-will-be-a-shock/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [People dance at any age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/people-dance-at-any-age/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to to dance better than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-do-not-try-to-dance-better-than-anyone-else-i-only-try-to-to-dance/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) [Explore all 128 Mikhail Baryshnikov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) ## More Before quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. 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I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sacco/i-don-t-like-just-traveling-in-for-a-short-time-i-ve-done-that-before/) [Joe Sacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sacco/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [For the Russian masses, the proletarians, knew for certain, and already saw during the war, and in part before their very eyes, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/for-the-russian-masses-the-proletarians-knew-for-certain-and-already/) [Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) Joe Pitts > [I've been told before, and I tend to believe it, I'm not like most actresses out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/i-ve-been-told-before-and-i-tend-to-believe-it-i-m-not-like-most/) [Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/) > [Before I got addicted to comedy, I was seriously thinking about playing tennis full time. 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Now I think my limo driver hates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/you-know-before-i-would-think-my-cab-driver-hates-me-now-i-think-my/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) Browse all 4,123 Before quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I miss horribly those couple of hours before the performance when you get into the theater and you see people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mikhail Baryshnikov" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-before-the-performance-when-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Before" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-before-the-performance-when-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/mikhail-baryshnikov-3526_before_i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-be_2913277.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/mikhail-baryshnikov-3526_before_i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-be_2913277.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/mikhail-baryshnikov-3526_before_i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-be_2913277.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I miss horribly those couple of hours before the performance when you get into the theater and you see people.” — Mikhail Baryshnikov", "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": "Mikhail Baryshnikov", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I miss horribly those couple of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-before-the-performance-when-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-miss-horribly-those-couple-of-hours-before-the-performance-when-you/#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 } } ] } ```