Quotes About Balanchine

Mr. Balanchine wanted me to be myself. He didn't want me to look like anyone else. I love teaching our company dancers the Balanchine ballets. I try to give them what was passed down to me and what I learned from him. They dance it so beautifully. It also keeps me close to Mr. Balanchine. He's with me every single day.

In the beginning, he taught you how to hold your fingers, use your head, hold your shoulders, how you glissade, bourre - the exact way he wanted you to do the steps. It was relearning the whole Balanchine technique.

There was a stage when Balanchine and I didn't talk. I was trying to develop my classical technique as opposed to the fast-track technique that he was pushing. We were very quiet with each other. But after two years he saw what I was doing and sent messages through other people that, yes, this is good.

I cherish the ballets made for myself by Mr. Balanchine. He never lost his temper. He was quiet, humble, the genius of the 20th century.

One of the things that made Bob so unique and wonderful is that he had a genuine style, like Balanchine, like de Mille.

I'm born originally in Toronto, and I have what I call my 'Fame' story. I took a Greyhound bus and went to Alvin Ailey and received Dunham, Horton, Graham technique there, but I could never take my eyes off of Balanchine doing 'Nutcracker'; to me he's the best who ever did it.

I wonder if you'd like to do a little ballet with me. A polka, perhaps. For some elephants.

Publicity overrates everything. Picasso's overrated. I'm overrated. Even Jack Benny's overrated.

I've always felt that Balanchine is my ultimate teacher. I learn the most from observing his work and also dancing in it.

Balanchine was just able to strike the balance between literal narrative and abstract dance.