Judith Jamison Quotes

Powerful Judith Jamison for Daily Growth

About Judith Jamison

Judith Jamison, an illustrious figure in the world of dance, was born on March 18, 1941, in Portland, Oregon. Raised in a musical family where her mother was a pianist and her father played violin, music and rhythm permeated her early years. However, it wasn't until she saw Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform that her passion for dance truly ignited. Jamison joined the company in 1965, quickly rising through the ranks from soloist to principal dancer. Her unparalleled skill and captivating stage presence earned her the nickname "Queen of American Modern Dance." In 1980, when Alvin Ailey himself passed away, Jamison was appointed as Artistic Director, a role she held until her retirement in 2002. Under Jamison's leadership, the company expanded its repertoire and toured extensively worldwide. She also established the AileySchool, which has trained thousands of dancers since its inception. Her major works as a choreographer include "Cry," "The Falling Down Revisted," and "Pas de Duke." Jamison's influence extends beyond dance, impacting culture and social awareness. She used her position to promote diversity, equality, and education, making the arts accessible to a wider audience. Her life's work embodies Alvin Ailey's vision of using dance as a vehicle for healing, inspiration, and cultural expression. Jamison was awarded numerous accolades throughout her career, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 2013 and the National Medal of Arts in 2014. Her legacy continues to inspire dancers and audiences alike, as she has left an indelible mark on the world of dance and beyond.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"You don't just dance, you create a character."

This quote emphasizes that dance is not merely movement or physical exercise, but an art form where dancers embody and express unique characters through their performances. It suggests that each dance, like a story, has a distinct personality, mood, and narrative, which the dancer brings to life on stage. In essence, Judith Jamison's words highlight the transformative power of dance, as it allows individuals to tap into their creativity and immerse themselves in the world of their character, connecting with audiences on an emotional level.


"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body."

This quote suggests that dance serves as an expressive medium for one's inner emotions, thoughts, and feelings. It implies that through movement and rhythm, individuals can communicate their deepest sentiments in a way that transcends verbal language, revealing the soul's hidden depths. Dance is thus seen as a powerful tool to connect with oneself and others on an emotional level.


"The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable."

This quote suggests that art, whether it's music, dance, literature, or any other creative expression, is not primarily intended as a means for financial gain but as a human endeavor that enhances the quality of our lives. Art can provide comfort, solace, inspiration, and an emotional outlet during difficult times, making life more bearable. It's about sharing the human experience in all its complexity and beauty, fostering empathy, understanding, and unity among people.


"I think everyone should dance. Everybody can find their own way through movement."

This quote by Judith Jamison emphasizes the universal nature of dancing, suggesting that it is not just a form of artistic expression but also a means for personal growth and self-discovery. By encouraging everyone to dance, she implies that movement can serve as a powerful tool for understanding oneself better, fostering creativity, and enhancing one's emotional and physical well-being. In essence, Jamison advocates for the value of embracing one's unique approach to movement as a means of self-exploration and personal development.


"Dance is the poetry of the foot."

This quote emphasizes that dance, like poetry, is a powerful form of expression, albeit using movement instead of words. It suggests that dance possesses the ability to convey emotions, stories, or ideas in a unique, visceral way. In other words, just as poetry allows us to feel and understand the depths of human experience through language, so too does dance allow us to connect with our shared humanity through the rhythm, grace, and fluidity of movement.


Dancing is bigger than the physical body. Think bigger than that. When you extend your arm, it doesn't stop at the end of your fingers, because you're dancing bigger than that. You're dancing spirit.

- Judith Jamison

Dancing, Think, Bigger, Extend

One thing I cannot stand is when people say, 'Hi, how are you?' and they don't wait to hear how I am. They're just going through the motions. I say to people: 'Keep it human. Keep it alive. Don't turn into a robot.' You have to hear what the other person is saying clearly.

- Judith Jamison

Wait, Through, Hi, Robot

I tell young people that people aren't just going to flock to you as your mentors. You have to seek them out. It could be your next-door neighbor; it could be somebody upstairs from you, somebody down the block from you. An aunt or an uncle. Some relative. A parent.

- Judith Jamison

Parent, Some, Flock, Aunt

I believe God has a path for me. He's always had a path for me, and I've always been in the right place at the right time - not because of my efforts, but because of my preparation and because of the guides that I have, the mentors that I have, the spiritual walkers that I've had all my life.

- Judith Jamison

My Life, Been, Had, Guides

The way Alvin Ailey has transformed modern dance and dance in general is the fact of variety. It's a cornucopia of ways to move. There are choreographers in the company as - as diverse, as different from each other as Donald McKayle and Bill T. Jones, or Jawole Zollar and John Butler, Lar Lubovitch, you know, and Judith Jamison.

- Judith Jamison

Fact, Other, Donald, Butler

Strive for perfection. Nobody's going to be perfect on this earth. But strive for perfection.

- Judith Jamison

Perfect, Strive, Going, Perfection

Maybe it's a generational thing, but I never wanted to be the best black dancer in the world. I just wanted to be the best.

- Judith Jamison

World, Never, Dancer, Generational

My idea for the Jamison Project was rather like a pickup company. The idea was to give the dancers a taste of the menu. Today, dancers need to try as many companies as possible without having a drop-dead loyalty to me or anyone else. They like to have the leeway to go their own way.

- Judith Jamison

Dancers, Idea, Rather, Leeway

My wonderful editor, Jackie Onassis, asked me to write a book that I wanted to write. I said, 'Look, it's not going to be scandalized. I'm not going to talk about anybody like a dog. I'm going to say the positiveness of my life, and talk about those who have contributed to the way I've been going, and that's that.'

- Judith Jamison

My Life, Been, Anybody, Onassis

As a dancer, you really try to stay true to whatever the choreographer/artistic director is giving you. So, now the shoe is on the other foot and I have to trust everyone else - I have to trust the dancer. As I was trusted as a dancer, I trust my dancers.

- Judith Jamison

Trust, Other, Everyone Else, Shoe

I don't think of myself as a leader. I am, but I don't think of myself that way. I'm not trying to belittle what I do, but I think of myself as a dancer first. I'll always be a dancer.

- Judith Jamison

Leader, Think, Always, Belittle

At 10, I could walk down the street and see over everybody's head. I don't remember being little or having to look up at people. I think I was born 5 feet 10. It's not that I felt especially tall. I was wondering when everybody else was going to catch up.

- Judith Jamison

Feet, Everybody, I Think, Wondering

I want to know who you are as a person, and then I want you to develop as a whole human being.

- Judith Jamison

Want, Human Being, Whole, I Want You

I believe in being prepared. I'm going to say that. Pray, prepare, proceed.

- Judith Jamison

Prepare, Going, Proceed, I Believe

Since babyhood, I've always evolved from one thing to another. My mother gave me ballet lessons at 6 as part of her enthusiasm for the arts and for life. We went to museums, to the theater. While her own talent was untapped, she worked for church causes.

- Judith Jamison

Another, Part, Evolved, Lessons

We can go on talking about racism and who treated whom badly, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to wallow in that or are you going to create your own agenda?

- Judith Jamison

Racism, Treated, Badly, Agenda

I've had a really charmed life, you know. Things always come to me - they just do.

- Judith Jamison

Me, Always, Things, Charmed

People don't remember me for how high my legs went, even though they went up very high, and how many pirouettes I did. They don't remember me for that. They remember me and any other dancer because something touched them inside. It's an indelible memory on the heart and in the mind.

- Judith Jamison

Other, Touched, Very, Indelible

Concert dance is the hardest kind of dance. We tour constantly, around the world, year in and year out. It just doesn't work for everybody. It's the lifestyle, it's the stamina, it's the love, it's the dedication, it's the commitment, it's all those words.

- Judith Jamison

Love, Year, Everybody, Lifestyle

I could say now at 66, yeah, I was a fabulous dancer. I was really terrific, you know. But I was always present. I was present. I was supposed to be where I was supposed to be at the time I was supposed to be.

- Judith Jamison

Say, Always, Could, Fabulous

We're dancing from here, from inside, not from outside. You could look at anybody throwing their leg and kick their leg up and a million pirouettes and do all kinds of tricks and stuff like that. But that's not what dance is really about.

- Judith Jamison

Dancing, Here, Anybody, Tricks

I've been in a competitive situation almost all my life. I've been having a competition with myself and trying to be the best I could be.

- Judith Jamison

My Life, Been, Having, All My Life

I was a protege; by the age of 10, I was studying with ballet choreographer Anthony Tudor in a class of adults.

- Judith Jamison

Studying, Choreographer, Class

I went to an audition for a Harry Belafonte Roaring Twenties special for choreographer Donald McKayle, but I failed.

- Judith Jamison

Special, Audition, Donald, Choreographer

The word 'suffering' is not in my vocabulary.

- Judith Jamison

Suffering, Word, Vocabulary

As long as there are dancers around who love to dance, there will be an Alvin Ailey American Dance Company. We miss him so much, but he's alive as soon as you see a dancer hit the stage.

- Judith Jamison

Love, Alive, Dancers, Miss

Dancers use their bodies in extraordinary ways, so we are chronically pre-arthritic, because of how we use our muscles and our bones.

- Judith Jamison

Dancers, Use, Bodies, Chronically

You have to dance unencumbered. There's no other way to move. The idea of dance is freedom. It is not exclusiveness, it's inclusiveness.

- Judith Jamison

Freedom, Other, Move, Dance

People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them.

- Judith Jamison

Beauty, Give, See, Dance

The world is full of ways for people to dance. Concert dance doesn't get its due.

- Judith Jamison

World, Due, Ways, Dance

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