“There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.” -Vicki Baum
“When you take dancing lessons, you learn steps and you learn steps and you learn steps. It can go on for a long time. And then one day, you just learn to dance, and it is so different.” -Bill Austin
“When dancing, if you get confused, just jump around and wave your arms.” -Author Unknown
“Dancing is the poetry of the foot.” -John Dryden (1631 - 1700)
A Tango dancer once decided to shine his dirty shoes by rubbing them against his trousers while dancing in a competition. Thinking that he was doing a dance move, other people started doing it . . . and that is the story of how the ‘Shine’ dance move began.
The Polka Dance
My cousin Nance came from France
To teach me the Polka dance.
First the heels, then the toes,
Yes, that’s the way the Polka goes.
by Author Unknown
“Put a little fun into your life. Try dancing.” -Kathryn Murray
“Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy because he felt that an essential part of himself had been neglected.” -Author Unknown
Hugh: Why is the new dance named ‘The Elevator’?
Grant: Because it has no steps!
“Learning to walk set you free. Learning to dance gives you the greatest freedom of all: to express your whole self, the person you are.” -Melissa Hayden (pseudonym of Mildred Herman (1923 - 2006))
We are the Dancers
We dance for laughter,
We dance for tears,
We dance for madness,
We dance for fears,
We dance for happiness,
We dance for screams,
We are the dancers . . .
We create the dreams!
by Author Unknown
“Every day I count wasted in which there has been no dancing.” -Friedrich Nietzsche (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844 - 1900))
“We are fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” -Author Unknown
“I have no desire to prove anything by dancing. I have never used it as an outlet or as a means of expressing myself. I just dance.” -Fred Astaire (pseudonym of Frederick Austerlitz (1899 - 1987))
The Old Woman from France
There came an old woman from France
Who taught grown-up children to dance;
But they were so stiff,
She sent them home in a sniff,
This sprightly old woman from France.
by Author Unknown
“As soon as I hear music, something in me starts to vibrate.” -Suzanne Farrell
“‘On with the dance, let the joy be unconfined!’ is my motto, whether there’s any dance to dance or any joy to unconfine.” -Mark Twain (pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910))
“We do not always dance because we are happy, but we dance and cannot help but become happy.” -Author Unknown
“Our classes are our practices. Our dance sneakers are our equipment. Our teacher is our coach. Our dance clothes are our jerseys. Our performances are our matches. Our audiences are our fans. Our concert is our tournament. The rhythm is our rule. Failure is our opponent; we will not lose. This is our game. This is our sport.” -Vala Yankovski
Esther: Why did the tap dancer retire?
Astaire: He kept falling in the sink.
“You don’t grow old and stop dancing; you stop dancing and grow old.” -Jessie M. Newburn
Some Actual Dance Names
- The Construction Worker
- The Fruit Bowl
- The Jay Walker
- The Lame Duck
- The Road Runner
- The Robot
- The Slip and Slide
- The Trampoline Dance
- The Trip and Fall
Can you think of other dances with zany names?
“Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.” -Dave Barry (David McAlister Barry (born 1947))
“You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart.” -Author Unknown
Dance and Dancing Facts
- Moderate dancing burns 250 to 300 calories an hour.
- Somewhere someone is dancing even as you read these very words.
- Now it’s your turn - what do you know about dancing?
“We look at the dance to impart the sensation of living in an affirmation of life, to energize the spectator into keener awareness of the vigor, the mystery, the humor, the variety, and the wonder of life.” -Martha Graham
“All that music and only two feet.” -Author Unknown
“I will make an average man into an average dancer, provided he be passably well made. I will teach him how to move his arms and legs, to turn his head. I will give him steadiness, brilliancy, and speed; but I cannot endow him with that fire and intelligence, those graces and that expression of feeling which is the soul of true pantomime.” -Jean Georges Noverre
“When you take dancing lessons, you learn steps and you learn steps and you learn steps. It can go on for a long time. And then one day, you just learn to dance, and it is so different.” -Bill Austin
“When dancing, if you get confused, just jump around and wave your arms.” -Author Unknown
“Dancing is the poetry of the foot.” -John Dryden (1631 - 1700)
A Tango dancer once decided to shine his dirty shoes by rubbing them against his trousers while dancing in a competition. Thinking that he was doing a dance move, other people started doing it . . . and that is the story of how the ‘Shine’ dance move began.
The Polka Dance
My cousin Nance came from France
To teach me the Polka dance.
First the heels, then the toes,
Yes, that’s the way the Polka goes.
by Author Unknown
“Put a little fun into your life. Try dancing.” -Kathryn Murray
“Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy because he felt that an essential part of himself had been neglected.” -Author Unknown
Hugh: Why is the new dance named ‘The Elevator’?
Grant: Because it has no steps!
“Learning to walk set you free. Learning to dance gives you the greatest freedom of all: to express your whole self, the person you are.” -Melissa Hayden (pseudonym of Mildred Herman (1923 - 2006))
We are the Dancers
We dance for laughter,
We dance for tears,
We dance for madness,
We dance for fears,
We dance for happiness,
We dance for screams,
We are the dancers . . .
We create the dreams!
by Author Unknown
“Every day I count wasted in which there has been no dancing.” -Friedrich Nietzsche (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844 - 1900))
“We are fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” -Author Unknown
“I have no desire to prove anything by dancing. I have never used it as an outlet or as a means of expressing myself. I just dance.” -Fred Astaire (pseudonym of Frederick Austerlitz (1899 - 1987))
The Old Woman from France
There came an old woman from France
Who taught grown-up children to dance;
But they were so stiff,
She sent them home in a sniff,
This sprightly old woman from France.
by Author Unknown
“As soon as I hear music, something in me starts to vibrate.” -Suzanne Farrell
“‘On with the dance, let the joy be unconfined!’ is my motto, whether there’s any dance to dance or any joy to unconfine.” -Mark Twain (pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910))
“We do not always dance because we are happy, but we dance and cannot help but become happy.” -Author Unknown
“Our classes are our practices. Our dance sneakers are our equipment. Our teacher is our coach. Our dance clothes are our jerseys. Our performances are our matches. Our audiences are our fans. Our concert is our tournament. The rhythm is our rule. Failure is our opponent; we will not lose. This is our game. This is our sport.” -Vala Yankovski
Esther: Why did the tap dancer retire?
Astaire: He kept falling in the sink.
“You don’t grow old and stop dancing; you stop dancing and grow old.” -Jessie M. Newburn
Some Actual Dance Names
- The Construction Worker
- The Fruit Bowl
- The Jay Walker
- The Lame Duck
- The Road Runner
- The Robot
- The Slip and Slide
- The Trampoline Dance
- The Trip and Fall
Can you think of other dances with zany names?
“Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.” -Dave Barry (David McAlister Barry (born 1947))
“You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart.” -Author Unknown
Dance and Dancing Facts
- Moderate dancing burns 250 to 300 calories an hour.
- Somewhere someone is dancing even as you read these very words.
- Now it’s your turn - what do you know about dancing?
“We look at the dance to impart the sensation of living in an affirmation of life, to energize the spectator into keener awareness of the vigor, the mystery, the humor, the variety, and the wonder of life.” -Martha Graham
“All that music and only two feet.” -Author Unknown
“I will make an average man into an average dancer, provided he be passably well made. I will teach him how to move his arms and legs, to turn his head. I will give him steadiness, brilliancy, and speed; but I cannot endow him with that fire and intelligence, those graces and that expression of feeling which is the soul of true pantomime.” -Jean Georges Noverre
“Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.” [translation to English]
“La danse, c’est la poésie avec des bras et des jambs.” [original French]
-Charles Baudelaire (Charles Pierre Baudelaire (1821 - 1867)): “La Fanfarlo” (1847)
“Dancing allows me to explore myself in so many ways, to learn about my limitations and strengths, my ability to cope with adversity and to go farther than I thought I could. You find out what you’re made of.” -Andrew Asnes
You need dance lessons right away - there’s no time to waste! Visit Fred Astaire Dance Studios at https://www.fredastaire.com/.
“Some people seem to think that good dancers are born, but all the good dancers I have known are taught or trained.” -Fred Astaire (pseudonym of Frederick Austerlitz (1899 - 1987))
Fae: Why did the rooster dance across the floor?
Phineas: To ask the hen to dance.
“Happiness is finding the right dance partner.” -Author Unknown
Types of Dances and Dance Styles
- Ballet
- Ballroom
- Couples
- Disco
- Irish Jig
- Line
- Polka
- Solo
- Square
- Tap
Can you think of other types of dances or dance styles?
“Enjoy the process of learning to dance. The process of our profession, and not its final achievement, is the heart and soul of dance.” -Jacques d’Amboise
“If you stumble, make it part of the dance.” -Author Unknown
“Dancing is moving to the music without stepping on anyone’s toes, pretty much the same as life.” -Robert Brault (born 1938)
“Some dance floors are so crowded you can’t tell who your partner is.” -Author Unknown
“It’s not magic! It’s physics. The speed of the turn is what keeps you upright.” -Deborah Bull
“Dance when you hear music.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
“I don’t want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance.” -George Balanchine (Georgy Melitonovich Balanchivadze)
“On dancing on pointe: Why don’t they just get taller girls?” -Henny Youngman (Henry ‘Henny’ Youngman (1906 - 1998))
“There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish.” -Mary Lou Cook (1918 - 2013)
“Dancing is the art of pulling your feet away faster than your partner can step on them.” -Author Unknown
“No sane man will dance.” -Marcus Tullius Cicero (also known as Tully or simply Cicero (106 B.C.E. - 43 B.C.E.))
“There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good.” -Edwin Denby (Edwin Orr Denby (1903 - 1983))
“The Earth sets some music going in us and dance we must.” -Ludwig Boone
“You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.” -Merce Cunningham
“Why walk when you can dance?” -Author Unknown
“They who love dancing too much seem to have more brains in their feet than in their head.” -Publius Terentius Afer (also known simply as Terence (185 B.C.E. - 159 B.C.E.))
“Think of the magic of the foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It’s a miracle, and the dance . . . is a celebration of that miracle.” -Martha Graham
Joy: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Bliss: To get to the barn dance, of course!
“To dance is to live.” -John Milton (1608 - 1674): “L’Allegro” (1645)
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” -Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)
“In life, as in dance, grace glides on blistered feet.” -Alice Abrams
“I set as my goal to be the best dancer I could be. Not the most famous, or the highest paid dancer, just the best I could be. Out of this discipline came great freedom and calm.” -Suzanne Farrell
Chorophobia is a persistent fear dancing. Weddings, proms, and parties may pose problems for those who suffer from a fear of dancing. Try singing instead . . . la, la, la, la! Everybody can do something, right? Okay, maybe whistling? Counting on your fingers and toes?
“Everything in the Universe has rhythm - everything dances.” -Maya Angelou
“Dancers have a very hard job. We must take our ugly, callused, blistered, and bruised feet and present them in a way so that they are mistaken as the most beautiful things on Earth.” -Author Unknown
“Thousands of emotions well up inside me throughout the day. They are released when I dance.” -Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)
“. . . those move easiest who have learn’d to dance.” -Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744)
“I found that dance was key to keeping depression out of my life. When you dance, things just go away, things don’t seem so bad. There’s no better way to take care of health than through something as joyous and beautiful as dance.” -Patrick Swayze (Patrick Wayne Swayze (1952 - 2009))
“Dance is the only art in which we ourselves are the stuff of which it is made.” -Ted Shawn
“Dance isn’t just about fancy footwork. It requires grace, discipline, and major muscles.” -Author Unknown
You may have noticed this article does not specifically mention Ballet Dancing, but only hints at it ever so slightly - and that is because the topic will be covered in another article . . . on MFOL!
“When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.” -Wayne Dyer (Wayne Walter Dyer (born 1940))
“Dancing is silent poetry.” -Simonides
“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” -Mikhail Baryshnikov (Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov( born 1948))
“On the dance floor, as in life, you’re only as good as your partner.” -Robin Marantz Henig
“If you think dancers aren’t athletes, think again.” -Author Unknown
Old Lady of France
There was an old lady of France,
Who taught little ducklings to dance;
When she said, “Tick-a-tack!” -
They only said, “Quack!”
Which grieved that old lady of France.
by Edward Lear
“Dancing is like life: it’s good to have a plan, but be prepared to improvise.” -Author Unknown
“When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.” -Lee Ann Womack
“Life is a dance, from one stage to the next.” -Author Unknown
“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair . . .” -Susan Polis Shutz (born 1944 as Susan Polis)
Overheard: Do you hear that? That music means I have to dance!
Now we make our way with fancy footwork to the next article . . . on MFOL!
“La danse, c’est la poésie avec des bras et des jambs.” [original French]
-Charles Baudelaire (Charles Pierre Baudelaire (1821 - 1867)): “La Fanfarlo” (1847)
“Dancing allows me to explore myself in so many ways, to learn about my limitations and strengths, my ability to cope with adversity and to go farther than I thought I could. You find out what you’re made of.” -Andrew Asnes
You need dance lessons right away - there’s no time to waste! Visit Fred Astaire Dance Studios at https://www.fredastaire.com/.
“Some people seem to think that good dancers are born, but all the good dancers I have known are taught or trained.” -Fred Astaire (pseudonym of Frederick Austerlitz (1899 - 1987))
Fae: Why did the rooster dance across the floor?
Phineas: To ask the hen to dance.
“Happiness is finding the right dance partner.” -Author Unknown
Types of Dances and Dance Styles
- Ballet
- Ballroom
- Couples
- Disco
- Irish Jig
- Line
- Polka
- Solo
- Square
- Tap
Can you think of other types of dances or dance styles?
“Enjoy the process of learning to dance. The process of our profession, and not its final achievement, is the heart and soul of dance.” -Jacques d’Amboise
“If you stumble, make it part of the dance.” -Author Unknown
“Dancing is moving to the music without stepping on anyone’s toes, pretty much the same as life.” -Robert Brault (born 1938)
“Some dance floors are so crowded you can’t tell who your partner is.” -Author Unknown
“It’s not magic! It’s physics. The speed of the turn is what keeps you upright.” -Deborah Bull
“Dance when you hear music.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
“I don’t want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance.” -George Balanchine (Georgy Melitonovich Balanchivadze)
“On dancing on pointe: Why don’t they just get taller girls?” -Henny Youngman (Henry ‘Henny’ Youngman (1906 - 1998))
“There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish.” -Mary Lou Cook (1918 - 2013)
“Dancing is the art of pulling your feet away faster than your partner can step on them.” -Author Unknown
“No sane man will dance.” -Marcus Tullius Cicero (also known as Tully or simply Cicero (106 B.C.E. - 43 B.C.E.))
“There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good.” -Edwin Denby (Edwin Orr Denby (1903 - 1983))
“The Earth sets some music going in us and dance we must.” -Ludwig Boone
“You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.” -Merce Cunningham
“Why walk when you can dance?” -Author Unknown
“They who love dancing too much seem to have more brains in their feet than in their head.” -Publius Terentius Afer (also known simply as Terence (185 B.C.E. - 159 B.C.E.))
“Think of the magic of the foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It’s a miracle, and the dance . . . is a celebration of that miracle.” -Martha Graham
Joy: Why did the chicken cross the road?
Bliss: To get to the barn dance, of course!
“To dance is to live.” -John Milton (1608 - 1674): “L’Allegro” (1645)
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” -Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)
“In life, as in dance, grace glides on blistered feet.” -Alice Abrams
“I set as my goal to be the best dancer I could be. Not the most famous, or the highest paid dancer, just the best I could be. Out of this discipline came great freedom and calm.” -Suzanne Farrell
Chorophobia is a persistent fear dancing. Weddings, proms, and parties may pose problems for those who suffer from a fear of dancing. Try singing instead . . . la, la, la, la! Everybody can do something, right? Okay, maybe whistling? Counting on your fingers and toes?
“Everything in the Universe has rhythm - everything dances.” -Maya Angelou
“Dancers have a very hard job. We must take our ugly, callused, blistered, and bruised feet and present them in a way so that they are mistaken as the most beautiful things on Earth.” -Author Unknown
“Thousands of emotions well up inside me throughout the day. They are released when I dance.” -Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)
“. . . those move easiest who have learn’d to dance.” -Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744)
“I found that dance was key to keeping depression out of my life. When you dance, things just go away, things don’t seem so bad. There’s no better way to take care of health than through something as joyous and beautiful as dance.” -Patrick Swayze (Patrick Wayne Swayze (1952 - 2009))
“Dance is the only art in which we ourselves are the stuff of which it is made.” -Ted Shawn
“Dance isn’t just about fancy footwork. It requires grace, discipline, and major muscles.” -Author Unknown
You may have noticed this article does not specifically mention Ballet Dancing, but only hints at it ever so slightly - and that is because the topic will be covered in another article . . . on MFOL!
“When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.” -Wayne Dyer (Wayne Walter Dyer (born 1940))
“Dancing is silent poetry.” -Simonides
“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.” -Mikhail Baryshnikov (Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov( born 1948))
“On the dance floor, as in life, you’re only as good as your partner.” -Robin Marantz Henig
“If you think dancers aren’t athletes, think again.” -Author Unknown
Old Lady of France
There was an old lady of France,
Who taught little ducklings to dance;
When she said, “Tick-a-tack!” -
They only said, “Quack!”
Which grieved that old lady of France.
by Edward Lear
“Dancing is like life: it’s good to have a plan, but be prepared to improvise.” -Author Unknown
“When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.” -Lee Ann Womack
“Life is a dance, from one stage to the next.” -Author Unknown
“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair . . .” -Susan Polis Shutz (born 1944 as Susan Polis)
Overheard: Do you hear that? That music means I have to dance!
Now we make our way with fancy footwork to the next article . . . on MFOL!