Siobhan Davies Quotes

Powerful Siobhan Davies for Daily Growth

About Siobhan Davies

Siobhan Davies (born 1956) is a renowned British choreographer, dancer, and dance artist who has significantly contributed to the contemporary dance landscape. Born in London, she developed an early interest in movement through various forms of dance and gymnastics. Her formal training began at the Laban Art of Movement Studio, where she honed her skills under the tutelage of Rudolf Laban and Kurt Jooss. In the late 1970s, Davies co-founded the seminal X6 Dance League, a collective that challenged traditional dance practices by incorporating conceptual art and performance art elements into their work. This innovative approach laid the foundation for her distinctive style as a choreographer. Her works, often site-specific and collaborative in nature, push boundaries and invite audience engagement. Throughout her career, Davies has received numerous accolades, including the South Bank Show Dance Award (1984) and the London Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement (2016). In 2003, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to dance. One of Davies' most celebrated works is "Keeping Mother's Legs Wide" (1987), a powerful exploration of women's bodies and experiences, which garnered international acclaim. Her choreographic pieces continue to be performed worldwide, with recent works like "BREED" (2016) and "Tilted Tales" (2019). In addition to her creative work, Davies has been a dedicated educator, holding positions at the London Contemporary Dance School, Laban, and Royal Holloway University of London. Her ongoing exploration of movement and its role in our lives is a testament to her enduring impact on contemporary dance.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In dance we discover that improvisation and structure can coexist."

This quote by Siobhan Davies suggests that in the art of dance, there is a harmony between spontaneity (improvisation) and pre-planned organization (structure). It implies that dancers can express themselves creatively through improvisation while still adhering to defined boundaries or structures. This coexistence enriches the dance experience, as it allows for both personal expression and a clear, structured presentation of ideas.

"Dance is not something you do. It's a way of being."

This quote suggests that dance is not merely an activity or performance, but rather a fundamental mode of expression and existence. For Siobhan Davies, dance transcends the stage; it is a lifestyle, a state of mind, and a method of connecting with oneself and the world. The focus is not on mastering steps or technique, but on embodying the essence of movement and rhythm in one's daily life.

"Dance is a powerful tool for unlocking the imagination and connecting with ourselves and others."

This quote emphasizes that dance serves as a potent means to stimulate our creativity and foster self-awareness, as well as connection with others. It suggests that through movement and expression in dance, we can explore our inner selves more deeply, cultivate empathy, and strengthen the bonds between individuals. In essence, dance acts as both an individual and collective medium for personal growth, self-expression, and human connection.

"The body remembers its own wisdom if we allow it to move freely."

This quote emphasizes the inherent intelligence within our physical bodies, suggesting that when given freedom to move, they can recall their innate wisdom. Essentially, it's a call for trusting our bodies to guide us in their natural movements, allowing them to express themselves freely and thus facilitating self-discovery, healing, and growth.

"Movement is a way of thinking made visible."

This quote implies that actions, specifically movement, are an expression or manifestation of one's thoughts and ideas. It suggests that our physical actions, whether they be dance, sports, or everyday gestures, reveal the complexity of our mental processes, giving insight into our thought patterns and creativity. Essentially, Davies posits that movement serves as a tangible demonstration of our intellect.

We could ask artists from abroad to come in too, so that there could be a mixing and matching of skills from Europe, America and here which would widen our world.

- Siobhan Davies

Here, Abroad, Which, Our World

I don't start a piece knowing exactly what effect it's going to have. There is a seed of an idea that I could never articulate, right at the beginning of the piece, literally like one cell.

- Siobhan Davies

Beginning, Seed, Going, Articulate

Those 25 dancers we worked with for a day, in as highly productive a way as possible - a long class, a period of teaching bits of the repertory - in fact I didn't teach Bank, I've used parts of Oil and Water.

- Siobhan Davies

Fact, Dancers, Teaching, Repertory

We need to think on a broader plane, we need to do more than we're doing.

- Siobhan Davies

Doing, Think, Plane, Broader

Yes - it's the same in any other work - the more you massage your thinking the more capable I believe you are of expanding how you go about things and learning.

- Siobhan Davies

Yes, Other, Expanding, Massage

Then I came in twice a week - for my own enjoyment as well as to be a guide. And then we started to apply some of the splinters of the ideas back into the piece.

- Siobhan Davies

Week, Some, Apply, Twice A Week

They improve greatly, and sometimes I go and see the performances they do and I am consciously aware that there isn't enough work for the good dancers.

- Siobhan Davies

Work, Sometimes, Dancers, Greatly

What we do now is to be valued - but we need to do more, so that it's more exciting to other people, and therefore that excitement shines back on us and we're able to have the energy to do more, to widen our creativity.

- Siobhan Davies

Need, Other, Shines, Excitement

One of our problems is our sense of discipline - dancers have an extraordinary sense of self-discipline.

- Siobhan Davies

Extraordinary, Dancers, Problems

If I only made dances about my own experience in dance, it would always be on my track, and I don't want that, I want to be on the track of where dance can take me.

- Siobhan Davies

Always, My Own, Made, Dances

Well, it's not full time - my dancers are only paid for six months of the year in two three-month blocks; but yes, it is possible we could do it in another year.

- Siobhan Davies

Dancers, Six, Months, Full Time

The dance world is too small in lots of ways - it's too intense, it rattles around itself, and it needs exposing to other ideas.

- Siobhan Davies

Small, Other, Needs, Intense

On the other hand in London you can get an audience that desires dance to go as far as it can go: they've seen the bricks of ideas built over a period so therefore there is an acceptance of what otherwise might seem out on a limb.

- Siobhan Davies

London, Other, Seen, Therefore

Independent dance - and, fine, it's a very good thing that it remains independent - is a much tougher life: all dancers expect that, and accept that there will be periods of not being able to work, provided there are choice moments during the year when they really can work.

- Siobhan Davies

Independent, Dancers, Very, Good Thing

It's not just for its influence on us, but to know that we can play a part in it, to understand the influence that we have outside our own existence.

- Siobhan Davies

Play, Outside, Part, Existence

The first 2 weeks, they didn't learn the piece - they went through the process of how the piece was made.

- Siobhan Davies

Process, Through, How, Weeks

We're talking about people who've already got 3-4, if not 5-6 years' experience or more, and it's about trying to help professionals develop, using us as a resource for that development.

- Siobhan Davies

Development, More, Using, Resource

There's a mass of places, really, where the idea started.

- Siobhan Davies

Places, Idea, Where, Mass

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.