Bette Midler Quotes

The key to acting has much more to do with listening than with talking.

Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body.

Modeling is really silent acting.

As a novelist, I suppose I can say that I'm highly articulate. But I know, as a person, in other ways, I'm not always articulate. I think we are all, from time to time, inarticulate, at some level, about some things.

Dancing is like - it's another way of communicating, no?

I love dance - trying to express myself wordlessly.

For me, the importance in learning about the dance is using it as a voice. It's not about a step, it's about a way to express oneself.

Seeing that I am so busily occupied with myself just now, I want to try to paint my self-portrait in writing.

It's always tricky to watch yourself, always. When I first had to watch myself, it was really hard because I'd done quite a few plays and I've never seen myself. So I was professional but I'd never watched myself. So I was like hearing you know... I'm sure you guys are all much more familiar with that because everybody has a phone, and everyone's taking pictures of themselves and making movies of themselves. And so people are more accustomed to it now. So I had to get used to it because there's a lot to be learned, of course, as an actor. When you watch yourself, you learn a lot.

Dance is communication, and so the great challenge is to speak clearly, beautifully and with inevitability.

When eventually I started to act a bit more, I realised that circus school had taught me something that a lot of actors my age didn't have: physicality. They didn't know how to move. Acting is not all about talking. There is something animalistic about it.

I feel that I'm sort of playing me but more feminine, and to me more feminine means smarter.

I find that communication as an actor and person is an important part of who I am. And I'm really drawn into the psychology of those dynamics.

When a body moves, it's the most revealing thing. Dance for me a minute, and I'll tell you who you are.

Like, that was weird in 'Hamlet 2,' because I played myself there, fully myself, but then I realized, 'Oh, I'm not playing myself. I'm some weird version of myself.' So as an actress, you're always playing something, I don't even know who I am, how could I become me? I don't know what that is.

The writing is important, but the way you say the line and the pause you give it, the facial expression - all of that is very important.

The more I talk about things, the more I understand myself.

The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.

At least when you're acting you can be someone. In front of the camera you have to be yourself. And who am I?

I like to think I'm a listener, and I'm fascinated by observing people - I suppose you just lock that in.

I used to be a dancer, and for me it was a really good combination of dance and acting.

I don't think you learn how to act. You learn how to use your emotions and feelings.

I think records and music are more appropriate and more respectful of the human soul than the churches are. And more respectful of the needs of humans to communicate with the aspects of themselves that are neglected by language.

I believe in dancing.

I learned a lot just watching people perform.