Judith Jamison Quotes

At 11, I went to Misha's school for two summers. So when I wasn't in that school, I was taking classes at David Howard or Robert Denver's studios - kind of legendary places - and there was one summer where Alexander Godunov sort of took me under his wing; the memory's a little murky, but I felt as if I was his project for those weeks.

In order to dance professionally, you have to start at a young age. No matter what, your muscle structure and your bones have to be groomed from a very young age. Nobody wakes up at 17 and decides to become a ballet dancer.

There's nobody knows more about dancing and choreography than Arlene Phillips, ever.

I was privileged to be able to study a year with Martha Graham, the last year she was teaching.

Certainly, when you train as a classical dancer, you are very much influenced by 'Giselle.' You see it all the time; you start to learn the steps a little.

I was a kid watching music videos, which were so cool and made me want to learn how to dance. I wish I could've gone to dance classes and learn, like, hip-hop dancing.

My first professional relationship, I danced with the Parsons Dance Company, and David Parsons, my former boss, allowed me to choreograph on the company.

Seeing 'Revelations' made me want to be a professional dancer.

At age 14, coming to the U.S., all I knew was American Ballet Theatre, Baryshnikov, Nureyev, and some of the European companies. I barely knew anything about Balanchine.

I started dancing when I was four years old and then was in class until I was about 20 years old or so, and then primarily was dancing just in shows that I was doing, but not really studying and training.

Choreographers, historically, are born, not made - their talents drive them to it.

I've never danced professionally as a ballet dancer, but all of my training is ballet, and I am a Fosse dancer.

I had always choreographed a little, beginning in high school. And I leaned toward choreography. I always had an overview of what was going on.

Dancers can get to see almost everything now. When I used to go into companies to make a piece, the dancers had hardly ever seen my work. Now they can watch it on YouTube. It means they're much faster at picking up material.

I studied dance at a high school arts magnet program before moving on to Miami's New World School of the Arts, and from there, I went on to study at The Juilliard School.

I've studied dance since I was very young, and I continue to study ballet.

Dancing is a tough career, but I'm glad I spent it at the Royal Ballet.

Growing up, I was a dancer. I wanted to be a choreographer.

I've been in continuing education programs since taking my dance master's exam at age 21.

While dancing for me was fun, becoming a choreographer was not something I wanted to do.

I can take a beginner kid that has never danced in their lives, and I can teach them something, or I can take a really advanced dancer, and I can make them into a professional.

Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon intimidated us all because she walked in and was going to be the dance captain. She was a great star, but she loved that kind of work as his assistant.

While I love dancing, and even acting in 'ABCD' - 'Anybody Can Dance' - was fun, I remain, at heart, a choreographer.

In fact, I never gave up doing dance shows despite films and even started my own dance school.

Initially, dancing for me was just for pocket money. The dancers are paid well and you get paid on a daily basis. Eventually when I got promoted as an assistant choreographer I was getting paid more. This was during my college days.