Judith Jamison Quotes

I have such a respect and fascination for dance. I can be light as air or stay grounded. Dance is really another universe.

I started dancing in my room... I wanted to find out more about my movements. I wanted to elaborate on whatever it was that I was doing there.

As far as I'm concerned, dance is a passion for me. I don't do homework and go to the sets. I believe in being impromptu. I just go on the sets and start doing whatever comes to my mind.

Making dances is an act of progress; it is an act of growth, an act of music, an act of teaching, an act of celebration, an act of joy.

I imagine that when I am creating a song or a project or an album or putting some clothing together or cooking a meal, whatever it is, I don't really have a recipe. The fun part is to throw that big piece of clay in the middle of the table as hard as I can, and whatever shape it takes, that's what shape it takes, and then I start to carve away.

When I'm painting outdoors, I only have time to think about what I'm saying, not how I'm saying it.

Music to me is spontaneous, writing is spontaneous and it's all based on not trying to do it. From beginning to end, whether it's writing a song, or playing guitar, or a particular chord sequence, or blowing a horn, it's based on improvisation and spontaneity.

To make up a dance, I still need, as I needed then, a pot of tea, walking space, privacy and an idea.

I always want my mouth to be like two steps ahead of my brain and I want my hands to move without thinking. I want to be able to dive into my computer or use my controllers without having to be, like, "Hmm, what would be a good choice here?" You just want music to happen like the same way the sweat's rolling off my face.

When it's time to make music, that's about getting lost for me. To be a control freak is not half as good as being a freak who's casually in control. You're feeling around in the dark for something that feels good.

I had no idea what I was doing when I wrote 'Search.' There was no carefully designed work plan. There was no theory that I was out to prove.

The body is your instrument in dance, but your art is outside that creature, the body.

The real message of the Dance opens up the vistas of life to all who have the urge to express beauty with no other instrument than their own bodies, with no apparatus and no dependence on anything other than space.

I don't work out a lead section and practice it for a day and then lay it down. I don't do that. The first time I do something I think is expressive or really cool, that's what's actually on the recording.

When I put my brush to canvas, I never know what I'm going to paint. It's like when you're walking down the street with your hands in your pockets, humming a tune, you don't know what you'll be humming five minutes from now.

I play like I always used to, with no agenda. And, every once in a while, I will play something I really hadn't thought about or even intended to play. And I'll go, 'Whoa! What was that?'

For the auditioning process, I love to move my body around, maybe dance a little bit, get myself in a really loose place where I'm free to play.

I've been dancing since I was two, learning so many different styles. I like dancing to rap and hip-hop, but also the Strokes, the Hives, and the Vines with carefree randomness. There's always a way to move to something.

I was always interested in choreography - in making people think and feel something.

Dance is a great way to express yourself.

Ballet was so structured. I'd been craving something that could guide me.

I'd listen to a song and say, 'Hang on, I like that piano thing,' so I'd play the guitar like that and get the vibe from it, and it just evolved from the get-go. It was pretty obvious what to do; You don't think about rock n' roll: you just do it.

Give me something to dance about and I'll dance it.

Dance constitutes a true recapturing of... freedom and childish play.

I get my dance moves from just moving around and listening to music and not really worrying about if it's perfect or not.