--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to dance always, to be good and…" description: "\"I want to dance always, to be good and not evil, and when it is all over not to have the feeling that I might have done better.\" — Ruth St. Denis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/ruth-st-denis-21823_be-good_i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-no_3223722.jpg" --- # I want to dance always, to be good and not evil, and when… ![“I want to dance always, to be good and not evil, and when it is all over not to have the feeling that I might have done better.” quote by Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/ruth-st-denis-21823_be-good_i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-no_3223722.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/ruth-st-denis-21823_be-good_i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-no_3223722.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/ruth-st-denis-21823_be-good_i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-no_3223722.jpg) > “I want to dance always, to be good and not evil, and when it is all over not to have the feeling that I might have done better.” [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desire for pure, joyful expression without regret or moral compromise. **In simple terms:** Seek joy in dance, avoid regret. Key Takeaway Dance with honesty, cherish each moment. Themes art joy integrity Mood hopeful reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - performance - personal growth - creative practice Key Concepts self‑expression ethical living Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance excellence with enjoyment? - What fears limit your creative freedom? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Feeling better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-better/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) ## Related quotes > [We're more inclined to do evil when we're feeling bad. Start doing good to start feeling better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-more-inclined-to-do-evil-when-we-re-feeling-bad-start-doing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Am I going insane? (insane) My blood is boiling inside of my veins An evil feeling attacks (attacks) My body's shaking,there's no turning back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/am-i-going-insane-insane-my-blood-is-boiling-inside-of-my-veins-an/) [Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/) > [There is an evil feeling in our brains, but it is nothing new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/metallica/there-is-an-evil-feeling-in-our-brains-but-it-is-nothing-new/) [Metallica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/metallica/) > [Am I going insane? My blood is boiling inside of my veins. An evil feeling attacks my body's shaking, there's no turning back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/am-i-going-insane-my-blood-is-boiling-inside-of-my-veins-an-evil/) [Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/) > [I find it hard to act unprofessionally because I can't do drama at school, it's hard for me to do drama out of school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgie-henley/i-find-it-hard-to-act-unprofessionally-because-i-can-t-do-drama-at/) [Georgie Henley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgie-henley/) > [I love to dance, and I love to see people dance. It is good exercise. It gives you a kind of energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-de-givenchy/i-love-to-dance-and-i-love-to-see-people-dance-it-is-good-exercise-it/) [Hubert de Givenchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-de-givenchy/) > [I don't see anything negative about dance. It is so good for you, mentally and physically, and so for me to promote it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/i-don-t-see-anything-negative-about-dance-it-is-so-good-for-you/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [“Lots of people come just to dance and have a good time. Here you can do anything you want to do, be anyone you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witi-ihimaera/lots-of-people-come-just-to-dance-and-have-a-good-time-here-you-can/) [Witi Ihimaera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witi-ihimaera/) > [I used to break dance. I can do some good James Brown footwork. But now I think I've danced too much. My girlfriend made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rockwell/i-used-to-break-dance-i-can-do-some-good-james-brown-footwork-but-now/) [Sam Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rockwell/) > [As long as you notice, and have to count the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/as-long-as-you-notice-and-have-to-count-the-steps-you-are-not-yet/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“One day people will come back. they won't be able to help themselves. People need music and dance and beautiful things. They forget sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-aguiar/one-day-people-will-come-back-they-won-t-be-able-to-help-themselves/) Nadia Aguiar > [I'm 24, so I'll go out and, yeah, have a few drinks and dance - I love to dance - and have a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-m-24-so-i-ll-go-out-and-yeah-have-a-few-drinks-and-dance-i-love-to/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“FROM BRANDON: Hi Nikki, Looking forward 2 going 2 the dance with you. Good luck finding a dress that will actually make you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-ren-e-russell/from-brandon-hi-nikki-looking-forward-2-going-2-the-dance-with-you/) [Rachel Renée Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-ren-e-russell/) > [“Blake: Logan’s a great dancer. And we all know a guy who can dance, is good in – Logan: \*Puts hands over ears\* La,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-kirk/blake-logan-s-a-great-dancer-and-we-all-know-a-guy-who-can-dance-is/) A&E Kirk > [Anybody can and should dance... It's good for the body and the spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isadora-duncan/anybody-can-and-should-dance-it-s-good-for-the-body-and-the-spirit/) [Isadora Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isadora-duncan/) ## More by Ruth St. Denis > [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/) > [When you are fifty, you're neither young nor old; you're just uninteresting. When you are sixty, and still dancing, you become something of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/when-you-are-fifty-you-re-neither-young-nor-old-you-re-just/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [every artist is both male and female, and ... sometimes, the two great elements are in conjunction with him, so that all by himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/every-artist-is-both-male-and-female-and-sometimes-the-two-great/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [“I see dance being used as communication between body and soul, to express what is too deep to find for words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/i-see-dance-being-used-as-communication-between-body-and-soul-to/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [We have the capacity to receive messages from the stars and the songs of the night winds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/we-have-the-capacity-to-receive-messages-from-the-stars-and-the-songs/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [As we rise higher in the understanding of ourselves, the national and racial dissonances will be forgotten in the universal rhythms of Truth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/as-we-rise-higher-in-the-understanding-of-ourselves-the-national-and/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [How in the end can one possibly hold anyone responsible for our own underdeveloped visions, or undeveloped strength of character?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/how-in-the-end-can-one-possibly-hold-anyone-responsible-for-our-own/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [It is this mission of the dancer to contribute to the betterment of all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-is-this-mission-of-the-dancer-to-contribute-to-the-betterment-of/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [We can scale the heights of mountains and see the world rayed out before us, but we fail to recognize that which is before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/we-can-scale-the-heights-of-mountains-and-see-the-world-rayed-out/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [Remembering that man is indeed the microcosm, the universe in miniature, the Divine Dance of the future should be able to convey with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/remembering-that-man-is-indeed-the-microcosm-the-universe-in/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [It was then that my religious consciousness emerged to flower years afterward into definite forms of religious dancing in which there is no sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/it-was-then-that-my-religious-consciousness-emerged-to-flower-years/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [I see the dance being used as a means of express what is too deep, too fine for words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/i-see-the-dance-being-used-as-a-means-of-express-what-is-too-deep-too/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [“The gods have meant that I should dance, and by the gods, I will dance!!! For in some mystic hour I shall move to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/the-gods-have-meant-that-i-should-dance-and-by-the-gods-i-will-dance/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [I have the financial morals of a goldfish, I can resist everything but temptation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/i-have-the-financial-morals-of-a-goldfish-i-can-resist-everything-but/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) > [But in reality we are accompanied by the whole dancing universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/but-in-reality-we-are-accompanied-by-the-whole-dancing-universe/) [Ruth St. Denis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) [Explore all 28 Ruth St. Denis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [What's good for the very rich might not be good for anybody but them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/what-s-good-for-the-very-rich-might-not-be-good-for-anybody-but-them/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want to dance always, to be good and not evil, and when it is all over not to have the feeling that I might have done better.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ruth St. Denis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-not-evil-and-when-it-is-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-not-evil-and-when-it-is-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/ruth-st-denis-21823_be-good_i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-no_3223722.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/ruth-st-denis-21823_be-good_i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-no_3223722.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca7/ruth-st-denis-21823_be-good_i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-no_3223722.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want to dance always, to be good and not evil, and when it is all over not to have the feeling that I…” — Ruth St. Denis", "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": "Ruth St. Denis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-st-denis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I want to dance always, to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-not-evil-and-when-it-is-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-st-denis/i-want-to-dance-always-to-be-good-and-not-evil-and-when-it-is-all/#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 } } ] } ```