Quotes from Ann Reinking

I ripped both hamstrings.

Dance saves lives.

I always had my feet in two places when I was doing amateur dance in Seattle.

It's all cyclical. Sometimes things just come in packs. At one point you had this collection of great choreographers where you would see eight bars and you would know definitely who did it.

I'm used to things not coming in the packages you expect.

People forget that the same man who did 'Star 80' and 'All that Jazz' also did 'Pardon Me Miss But I've Never Been Kissed.'

Dance is such a wonderful, universal expression, even if the bugle beads are wrong.

I would not correct dancers if I was performing, because I don't believe in performers correcting other performers.

Dancing is the personification of music, and music is an abstract expression of the human spirit. But still it's the act of communication, of making one feel. Otherwise it would just be gymnastics.

I came to New York with $500. That was a lot of money because my allowance was 50 cents.

It's hard to dance after a certain age. All those athletic things - like looking up at my kneecaps - they're just not there anymore.

The guest artists pass on not only their experiences but also the pitfalls.

Ingenue parts are plentiful. And once you get old, they'll start hiring you again for character parts. But the middle years are tough.

I'd announced when I was 13 that I wanted to go to New York instead of college - that was quite a disaster, but it gave my parents plenty of time to get conditioned that after finishing school I really was determined.

If you're a woman and you're working, you're already set up for conflict.

People think I'm accident-prone when they see me on crutches, but I do eight shows a week.

Fosse would say that it's important to trust silence. He very much liked the use of the tacit, or silent, count, where nothing is happening. He also liked percussion. His is a world of angular movement and mystery, quiet, semi-taciturn and percussive.

The odd thing about Bob is that even though he's known as really taking chances and being very sensual, he was also a very moral man.

You have no control over how tall you are or how long your legs are, but you do have control over how much you concentrate.

When you're a teenager, you don't want to look different. So being very tall can set you apart, not being able to see very well can set you apart... and you just want to fit in. We all do.

I think of myself, basically, as a very practical person in black bugle beads.

I learn from teaching. Having to break things down and explain them makes me a better dancer.

Every great dancer has so much to offer.

Once Bob commits to something, it's almost like a child. He doesn't want anybody else to take care of it, even if it might be to his detriment.