--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The contemporary programs in London are…" description: "\"The contemporary programs in London are harder and much more damaging for the body. With classical ballet you are relaxed mentally because it's what yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/sergei-polunin-3855_ballet_the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are_2488012.jpg" --- # The contemporary programs in London are harder and much… ![“The contemporary programs in London are harder and much more damaging for the body. With classical ballet you are relaxed mentally because it's what you learnt, but I want to push myself.” quote by Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/sergei-polunin-3855_ballet_the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are_2488012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/sergei-polunin-3855_ballet_the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are_2488012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/sergei-polunin-3855_ballet_the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are_2488012.jpg) > “The contemporary programs in London are harder and much more damaging for the body. With classical ballet you are relaxed mentally because it's what you learnt, but I want to push myself.” [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern programs are physically demanding; classical ballet offers mental relaxation through familiar technique. **In simple terms:** New programs are tough; classical ballet feels easier. Key Takeaway Balance challenge with familiar practice. Themes fitness body mind training Mood determined analytical Type motivational cautionary When to use this quote - dance - exercise - performance - rehab Key Concepts physical demand mental relaxation Questions to Reflect On - What limits your physical push? - How can you integrate relaxation? A Different Perspective Pushing too hard can cause injury or burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) ## Related quotes > [I think Katy B encapsulates young London in a way I never could. She reps London harder than anyone song-wise since Lily Allen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-think-katy-b-encapsulates-young-london-in-a-way-i-never-could-she/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [The vocabulary and manner of classical ballet express a high order of discipline and restraint, a sense of harmony with forces larger and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-vocabulary-and-manner-of-classical-ballet-express-a-high-order-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The classical ballet world is so exclusive and small, and a lot of people don't know about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/the-classical-ballet-world-is-so-exclusive-and-small-and-a-lot-of/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [I think classical ballet dancers dance on pointe because they're simultaneously touching the earth and reaching up to the skies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-think-classical-ballet-dancers-dance-on-pointe-because-they-re/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I want to be known as a delicate, Black dancer who does classical ballet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/i-want-to-be-known-as-a-delicate-black-dancer-who-does-classical/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [I went to the Performing Arts School and studied classical ballet. That attitude is something that's put into your head. You are never thin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-electra/i-went-to-the-performing-arts-school-and-studied-classical-ballet/) [Carmen Electra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-electra/) > [In the world of classical ballet there are only a handful of story ballets, so getting a new one is cause for excitement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kain/in-the-world-of-classical-ballet-there-are-only-a-handful-of-story/) [Karen Kain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kain/) > [I studied dance for about 15 years, various disciplines, with classical ballet as my primary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/i-studied-dance-for-about-15-years-various-disciplines-with-classical/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [So many people report to be contemporary dancers, and they're not. They are sort of jazz dancers that feel like they're throwing a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-lythgoe/so-many-people-report-to-be-contemporary-dancers-and-they-re-not-they/) [Nigel Lythgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-lythgoe/) > [When I was young, I took classical ballet lessons, but I wasn't very good at it. It was really frustrating because I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-and-the-queens/when-i-was-young-i-took-classical-ballet-lessons-but-i-wasn-t-very/) [Christine and the Queens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-and-the-queens/) > [Classical ballet will never die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-de-valois/classical-ballet-will-never-die/) [Ninette de Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-de-valois/) > [With classical ballet you are literally injuring yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/with-classical-ballet-you-are-literally-injuring-yourself/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [I wanted to give people - which is fairly bizarre considering my whole life is contemporary dance really - I wanted to give people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-murphy/i-wanted-to-give-people-which-is-fairly-bizarre-considering-my-whole/) [Graeme Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-murphy/) > [I used to dance for seventeen years -classical ballet, which was very disciplined. I like yoga and Pilates, but I don't have the discipline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-used-to-dance-for-seventeen-years-classical-ballet-which-was-very/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [I'm a classical ballet dancer, and at the end of the day I want to be with American Ballet Theater, performing classical ballets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-m-a-classical-ballet-dancer-and-at-the-end-of-the-day-i-want-to-be/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) ## More by Sergei Polunin > [I wasted so many years just traveling and sitting in hotels, searching for things, not knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-wasted-so-many-years-just-traveling-and-sitting-in-hotels-searching/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [The Royal Ballet was good to me. They gave me everything I asked for. It's just... I felt tricked. I became a principal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-royal-ballet-was-good-to-me-they-gave-me-everything-i-asked-for/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I didn't want people to think I'm a dancer. I'm much more. I'm a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-didn-t-want-people-to-think-i-m-a-dancer-i-m-much-more-i-m-a-human/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [Art and war are opposites, so our goal as an artist is to build and create, not destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/art-and-war-are-opposites-so-our-goal-as-an-artist-is-to-build-and/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I normally don't regret. I enjoy everything, even if it's bad or good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-normally-don-t-regret-i-enjoy-everything-even-if-it-s-bad-or-good/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [What made my mind go free is that I wanted to become an artist. As soon as I said to myself, 'Oh I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/what-made-my-mind-go-free-is-that-i-wanted-to-become-an-artist-as/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I do get depressed sometimes, I don't know why. It's since I was a kid and it's just part of my personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-do-get-depressed-sometimes-i-don-t-know-why-it-s-since-i-was-a-kid/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I went and got a tattoo of James Dean on my shoulder without actually seeing him in any movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-went-and-got-a-tattoo-of-james-dean-on-my-shoulder-without-actually/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [The Sensorium Galaxy Planet of Motion is the future. We are memorizing dance because dance will exist in a virtual world forever. The Planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-sensorium-galaxy-planet-of-motion-is-the-future-we-are-memorizing/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [The Royal Ballet School looked after me very well, they were like my family, and the company gave me everything. But I was unhappy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-royal-ballet-school-looked-after-me-very-well-they-were-like-my/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [As soon as I said to myself, "Oh I'm not a dancer; I'm not an actor," it made me so free to do anything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/as-soon-as-i-said-to-myself-oh-i-m-not-a-dancer-i-m-not-an-actor-it/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [Just let me live my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/just-let-me-live-my-life/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I'm not a bad boy now I'm living in Russia. London was great but there were too many distractions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-m-not-a-bad-boy-now-i-m-living-in-russia-london-was-great-but-there/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [I actually always have good intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/i-actually-always-have-good-intentions/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) > [You know when you believe in Christmas? I was like that with ballet. I thought I would reach a level where I'd have enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/you-know-when-you-believe-in-christmas-i-was-like-that-with-ballet-i/) [Sergei Polunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) [Explore all 120 Sergei Polunin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/) ## 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": "The contemporary programs in London are harder and much more damaging for the body. With classical ballet you are relaxed mentally because it's what you learnt, but I want to push myself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sergei Polunin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are-harder-and-much-more-damaging/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ballet" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are-harder-and-much-more-damaging/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/sergei-polunin-3855_ballet_the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are_2488012.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/sergei-polunin-3855_ballet_the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are_2488012.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/sergei-polunin-3855_ballet_the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are_2488012.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The contemporary programs in London are harder and much more damaging for the body. With classical ballet…” — Sergei Polunin", "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": "Sergei Polunin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-polunin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The contemporary programs in London are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are-harder-and-much-more-damaging/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-polunin/the-contemporary-programs-in-london-are-harder-and-much-more-damaging/#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 } } ] } ```