Mikhail Baryshnikov Quotes

That piece has been choreographed so badly so many times. I'm loathe to do it but I may eventually because it is one of the seminal art works of the twentieth century.

All good performance pieces have some philosophical validity. That's the difference between mere theater and performance art.

I think the sensation of being moved by a piece of art is something that is really good for a person's soul.

It would be a dangerous undertaking for persons trained only to the law to constitute themselves final judges of the worth of [a work], outside of the narrowest and most obvious limits. At the one extreme some works of genius would be sure to miss appreciation. Their very novelty would make them repulsive until the public had learned the new language in which their author spoke.

I've always taken the view that works of art are not just things that we enjoy. They can convey truths about the world more vividly and to greater effect than ordinary philosophical prose can because they don't just deal in ideas but show the emotional reality of them.

Theater is where you go to find out something new that you don't know. It goes through somebody's brain and comes out in a comprehensible way that is beautiful, that's really interesting.

The frame is the reward of the artist.

Art and science are intrinsically the same except for one thing. The universe is in control of your science, whether it's right or wrong, and the public are in control of your art - if they're going to buy it, if you're going to make a living that way.

You put it out there, you go film it, you go write it, you go record it... but the fans are the ones who decide it.

For any cultural performance involving me, the response from Kolkata is the most critical. If I pass here, I will pass elsewhere.

Trophies or no trophies, we are all just striving to do some really good art and help people's lives with it.

I've always been interested in dance and want to be a trained contemporary dancer.

My genuine passion for dance was born watching Ballet Rambert perform Christopher Bruce's harrowing 'Ghost Dances.'

Music is a living art.

There's a stigma attached to being an actor. People from 'Big Brother' call themselves actors. There's so much crap. It's not about appreciating that we're here to service the public, that we're storytellers. It doesn't sit comfortably with me.

I spent a lot of time doing really unimportant work as an actor. It was important when I started writing that I obviously make it entertaining, or no one is going to go see it - but to really make you think, that is my goal.

When I was filming in Budapest for ITV's 'Titanic,' I realised I'd never been to the ballet before so decided to see a production of 'Giselle.' I went on my own. As it was my first ballet, it was a very bizarre and interesting experience but very enjoyable.

I've been working on it a lot, trying to find the artistic balance, trying to find purpose in my movement combined with the jumps.

As an artist, you're taking your experiences and placing them into your art. So the more experiences you have, the richer your art and more people can relate to it.

I'm trying to create ballets that I would enjoy seeing.

Aside from singing, I'm also a dancer. I've been dancing since I was 8.

All I need to worry about is have I done better than my previous film or not.

Whether it's a huge hit or sold five copies, as long artistically and creatively I can stand by what I did, then I'll feel successful.

First of all, I'm not a singer or rapper. I'm an artiste. Besides singing, I produce music, dance, write poetry, and sometimes I paint as well.

For me, it's important to ask what are you making, and what's the public's relationship to that. And I say public relationship because I don't really care so much about any sort of reception.