50 Sylvie Guillem Quotes for You to Enjoy

Sylvie Guillem

French Dancer

Born: Feb 25, 1965

Am Ballet Me People Time You

Related authors: JoJo Siwa Josephine Baker Katherine Dunham Martha Graham Merce Cunningham Mikhail Baryshnikov Misty Copeland Twyla Tharp

I have learned a great deal from the theatrical side of Covent Garden. The Paris Opera Ballet is more concerned with technique. It's perfect. It's beautiful. It's well done. But it lacks the theatrical tradition that is so important in England. At the Royal Ballet, absolutely everyone on stage seems to be caught up in the plot. Sylvie Guillem

Beautiful Great Garden Great Deal Important Stage Side Everyone Plot Seems More Paris Perfect Absolutely Opera Well Concerned Well Done Learned Deal Caught Ballet Tradition Up Done Lacks Theatrical England Technique Royal

For someone like me, who as a kid could not have two people in front of me without wanting to hide, to end up on stage with a lot of people in front of me, feeling good, it has to be a strange and special place. Sylvie Guillem

Good Me Strange People Hide Feeling Stage Kid Someone Could Feeling Good Like Without Lot End Up Front Wanting Place Special Who Special Place Two Two People

I do not want an animal to die for me. Sylvie Guillem

Me Animal Die Want

When you start, you have no brain; you are a kid. It's fine. But then I started to be scared. I was scared of judgment - not as a dancer, but as a person - and I was really uncomfortable with people. And it lasted for a very long time. Sylvie Guillem

While I enjoy it, I will continue to go onstage. While I contribute something, fine. I don't want to be dragging my feet. I don't want to become pathetic, but I think I will be lucid enough. I'll know when to stop. Sylvie Guillem

Will Become Enjoy Think Enough Fine Something Onstage Feet Know Go Continue Contribute Pathetic Stop Want While Lucid Dragging

I had no sense of having reached some goal because I was an etoile at the Paris Opera. My ambition, if you can call it that, was to discover and learn and be excited by what I was doing. If I didn't have that, I would find it elsewhere. Sylvie Guillem

The Palais Garnier was part of my childhood, my pseudo-adolescence, my life. Sylvie Guillem

Life My Life Part Childhood

At the Paris Opera Ballet, they were always making choices for me. Sylvie Guillem

Me Paris Opera Always Making Ballet Were Choices

There is a false idea that I am stubborn and do only what I want, but really, I am like a sponge. Sylvie Guillem

Only Stubborn Idea Sponge Like Am False Want Really

I can't have friends in every port. I have to work very hard and be very clear about what I want to do. I cannot just swallow everything I am told. I have to decide what I want to become part of my luggage - and what I don't. Sylvie Guillem

Work Become Every Everything About Part Clear Am Friends Very Just Want Decide Cannot Swallow Hard Luggage Port

It would be nice to wake up and be able to walk to the bathroom. But even when I was 20 and at the Paris Opera, I had to crawl down the stairs; it is only when I start to work and stretch that my body begins to recover again. Sylvie Guillem

Work Wake Up Walk Be Nice Down Nice Bathroom Would Would-Be Able Only Paris Recover Had Opera Wake Up Begins Again Crawl Stairs Body Even Start Stretch

The best times are when the time on stage becomes much slower and the movement much bigger - in that case, everything seems to flow. This state does not happen very often, but when it does, it is a magic kind of pleasure. Sylvie Guillem

I've learned to listen to what's going on with my body. Sylvie Guillem

Learned Going Listen Body

I had never a thought of training to be a ballerina. I was a normal child. I never dreamed of the tutu. Sylvie Guillem

Training Thought Dreamed Never Had Ballerina Normal Child

When I was doing gymnastics, I was playing. It was fun. The ballet was not fun at all. Yes, I agree you must have discipline, but you don't need to be a witch. You can't teach a child like that. Three times a week, I went back to train as a gymnast. Then I was happy. Sylvie Guillem

You Happy Discipline Three Back Must Gymnast Gymnastics Week Like Witch Ballet Doing Yes Train Times Child Child-Like Then Teach Fun Agree Playing Need