Sylvie Guillem Quotes

My father never forced me, but chemistry was my best subject.

My father said, 'You're not going to make it.' That took a lot of pressure from me. I took football like a hobby.

John and I were lucky because our mother was a strong woman with high expectations and a strong sense of values. She encouraged us to pursue things we were interested in and not think about what other people wanted us to do.

When I was probably 5 or 6, my mother put me into an acting, singing, and dancing class.

I tried to interest my daughter in dancing, but she didn't take to it. As a five-year-old, she got lost on the way to her first class. After that she didn't go to dance class again.

My parents were very open about what kind of talent I had. They never pushed me to become an accountant because they knew that would be just absolutely ridiculous. So they were encouraging in what I am able to do with some success.

I was well indulged as a child by my relentlessly self-improving, working class parents to express myself.

My favorite subject was recess. Fortunately for me, I had a mother who believed I was smart.

I appreciate my journey, but I don't want that for my kid. Not any of it. It has nothing to do with whether I liked my childhood. I really did. But as a parent, that isn't the childhood that I'd provide.

My parents encouraged me in everything I ever wanted to do.

A series of small but real accomplishments gives people the energy and confidence to continue. For instance, a person who wants to write a novel might resolve to write one sentence each day. Or a person who wants to start running might resolve to run for one minute.

I tried piano, acting, and a bunch of things. My family let me do what I wanted to do; they made sure I had balance in my life because I was self-driven. Listen to your kid, encourage them, and make it fun.

Being onstage and communicating with an audience was part of my life since I was very little, but I was never pushed into singing. My parents were so uninterested in me making music.

There was always a piano in the house when I was growing up - my dad played, and I thought it was cool - and when I was eight, I begged my parents to let me have lessons. After a couple of weeks, I wanted to give up, but my parents were very focused and made me keep going, which I'm very pleased about now.

A mother should give her children a superabundance of enthusiasm; that after they have lost all they are sure to lose on mixing with the world, enough may still remain to prompt fated support them through great actions.

My dad was my first coach and drove me extremely hard from a very young age.

My kids have a competitive drive I never had growing up.

First and foremost, it's my mom and dad who gave me the foundation, the belief in me that I could do anything.

The way my father raised me was really informative of how I think about my role as a female and how I view myself in a professional and personal capacity. So he encouraged me to set the bar very high for myself, to set great goals for myself.

I was about eight when I started tap dancing - against my own will. My mom wanted me to do it. She thought I would love it, and I didn't believe her. I turned out to be obsessed with it.

I embrace who I am. I just want my child to do the same thing.

My parents have tried not to intrude. They kind of stayed apart from my gymnastics but are very supportive, and that's very helpful as a gymnast to not have your parents say, 'Did you do this today?' and just be very on top of you.

If you try to force yourself into change, then change will never stick.

My parents used books as bribes: if I got straight A's on my report card, they would buy me one book. This was completely unnecessary, as I always got A's, and they bought me books all the time anyway, and we all knew it.

My mom wanted me to play baseball. She didn't want me to play basketball.