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Ballet Quote by Paul Taylor

“Classic Ballet, Keep away, keep building your creaky fairy castles, keep cloning clones and meaningless manners, hang on to your beanstalk ballerinas and their midget male shadows, run yourself out of business with your tons of froufrou and costly clattery toe shoes that ruin all chances for…” quote by Paul Taylor
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““Classic Ballet, Keep away, keep building your creaky fairy castles, keep cloning clones and meaningless manners, hang on to your beanstalk ballerinas and their midget male shadows, run yourself out of business with your tons of froufrou and costly clattery toe shoes that ruin all chances for illusions of lightness, keep on crowding the minds of blind balletomanes who prefer dainty poses to the eloquent strength of momentum, who have forgotten or never known the manings of gesture, who would nod their noses to barefoot embargos ("so grab me" spelt backwards). Continue to repolish your stiff technique and to ignore a public that hungers for something other than a bag of tricks and the empty-headedness of surface patterns. Just keep it up, keep imitating yourself, and, , go grow your own dance makers. Come on, don't keep trying to filter modern ones through your so-safe extablishment. We're to be seen undiluted, undistorted, not absorbed by your hollow world like blood into a sponge. Yours truly, A Different Leaf on Our Family Tree””

Paul Taylor

About This Quote

Source Letter: Open Letter to the Dance Community, 2015

A critique of stagnant, overly traditional dance that neglects innovation and audience relevance.

In simple terms: Traditional dance can become hollow without fresh ideas.

Key Takeaway

Embrace originality and audience connection.

Themes

art innovation tradition audience authenticity

Mood

critical defiant reflective

Type

opinion editorial

When to use this quote

  • dance companies
  • choreographers
  • performers
  • art critics
  • educators

Key Concepts

cultural critique creative renewal artistic integrity

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can tradition inspire rather than limit?
  • What audience needs are unmet?
A Different Perspective

Risk of alienating core supporters while pursuing change.

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