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Robert Gottlieb Quotes

Remember: TV is a format, film is a format, and books are a format Picture Quote #1

Most famous stage actors tactfully fade away Picture Quote #1

Blood is the leitmotif of ‘Black Swan.’ Picture Quote #1

There are certain historical figures of such importance that we need to know everything about them, which is why books about Napoleon, Lincoln, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth I, and the great religious founders continue to proliferate; these lives require constant reevaluation and interpretation Picture Quote #1

Shakespeare has always been up for grabs, and choreographers have every right to use him any way they choose Picture Quote #1

The cows in Stella Gibbons’s immortal ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ are named Graceless, Aimless, Feckless and Pointless, and that more or less is the verdict on ‘Ocean’s Kingdom,’ the wildly hyped and wildly uninteresting collaboration between Peter Martins and Paul McCartney Picture Quote #1

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The mystery of Christopher Wheeldon deepens. Yes, he’s the most talented of the younger ballet choreographers - indeed, where’s the competition? Yes, he’s particularly good at nurturing dancers and identifying their essential qualities Picture Quote #1

Eclipse’ is overlong and overly self-conscious, but it isn’t a fake or a zero; it just gets exhausting. It raises a crucial question: ‘When does Concept morph into Gimmick?’ Picture Quote #1

A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is one of George Balanchine’s greatest creations - and one of the greatest of all story ballets Picture Quote #1

Martha Graham, along with George Balanchine, is one of the two commanding figures in 20th-century American dance. For those much younger than I am, her genius as a performer will have to be taken on faith - and on the always-suspect evidence of film. What will last, if things go well, is her genius as a choreographer, as a woman of the theater Picture Quote #1

Writing happened to me. I didn’t decide to start writing or to be a writer. I never wanted to be a writer Picture Quote #1

Eclipse’ is a concept piece, and its concept centers on 36 large light bulbs strung from above in a geometrical pattern and at different heights, some of them at times down below the dancers’ chest level Picture Quote #1

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Ballet in September used to be dead as a dodo. Now, with City Ballet’s ingenious decision to give us four weeks of repertory in the early fall, having cut down on the relentlessly long spring season when dancers, critics and audiences droop on the vine, we wake up after the dog days of August with something to look at Picture Quote #1

What makes a publishing house great? The easy answer is the consistency with which it produces books of value over a lengthy period of time Picture Quote #1

At a certain point, you have to face the fact that you’ve turned into an old fart Picture Quote #1

The eternal and uneasy relationship between ballet and modern dance endures, but radically altered in tone and intensity Picture Quote #1

One of the eternal mysteries of ballet is how untalented choreographers find backers for their work, and then find good dancers to perform in it. Is it irresistible charm? Chutzpah? Pure determination? Blackmail? Or are so many supposedly knowledgeable people just plain blind? Picture Quote #1

Nothing is harder to create than brilliant comic ballets, except maybe brilliant full-evening comic ballets Picture Quote #1

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For me, the real pleasure in writing is in having an excuse to pursue my curiosity about people who have meant something to me Picture Quote #1

The best seat in the house often depends on the ballet. For instance, much of the first act of ‘The Nutcracker’ is domestic and small scale, so it’s great to sit up close. But the second act features elaborate scenery and choreography, which are better to observe from a distance Picture Quote #1

We see a new generation of Russian authors who are not divided from their Western contemporaries either culturally or philosophically Picture Quote #1

Wayne McGregor’s ‘Dyad 1929’ is a good example of this capable British choreographer’s work Picture Quote #1

Every great dance company, even when it seems poised in perfect balance, needs constant renewal of both repertory and performers Picture Quote #1

Tolstoy may be right about happy and unhappy families, but in ballet, it works the opposite way: All good ballets are different from each other and all bad ones are alike, at least in one crucial respect - they’re all empty Picture Quote #1

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Has there ever been a dance career with more ups and downs than Twyla Tharp’s? Or with more varied ambitions? Or larger ambition? Picture Quote #1

In traditional ‘Swan Lakes,’ it’s Prince Siegfried’s 21st-birthday celebration, his coming-of-age. The entire court, from his mother the Queen on down, is on hand Picture Quote #1

All ballet galas are unbearable, but they’re unbearable in different ways Picture Quote #1

In 1998, Vanity Fair asked me to write a big piece for them on the 50th anniversary of the New York City Ballet. My life, to a great extent, had been spent at and with the New York City Ballet, and I decided to try it. It was very scary, writing about something I loved so much and had such strong opinions about Picture Quote #1

When I was at Cambridge in the early fifties, there was a school nearby for training Army officers in Russian, and some imaginative genius came up with the idea of putting on Russian plays with the students to improve their language skills Picture Quote #1

What ‘War and Peace’ is to the novel and ‘Hamlet’ is to the theater, Swan Lake’ is to ballet - that is, the name which to many people stands for and sums up an art form Picture Quote #1

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Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

Remember: TV is a format, film is a format, and books are a format (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Most famous stage actors tactfully fade away (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Blood is the leitmotif of ‘Black Swan.’ (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) There are certain historical figures of such importance that we need to know everything about them, which is why books about Napoleon, Lincoln, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth I, and the great religious founders continue to proliferate; these lives require constant reevaluation and interpretation. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Shakespeare has always been up for grabs, and choreographers have every right to use him any way they choose. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) The cows in Stella Gibbons’s immortal ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ are named Graceless, Aimless, Feckless and Pointless, and that more or less is the verdict on ‘Ocean’s Kingdom,’ the wildly hyped and wildly uninteresting collaboration between Peter Martins and Paul McCartney. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) The mystery of Christopher Wheeldon deepens. Yes, he’s the most talented of the younger ballet choreographers - indeed, where’s the competition? Yes, he’s particularly good at nurturing dancers and identifying their essential qualities. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Eclipse’ is overlong and overly self-conscious, but it isn’t a fake or a zero; it just gets exhausting. It raises a crucial question: ‘When does Concept morph into Gimmick?’ (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is one of George Balanchine’s greatest creations - and one of the greatest of all story ballets. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Martha Graham, along with George Balanchine, is one of the two commanding figures in 20th-century American dance. For those much younger than I am, her genius as a performer will have to be taken on faith - and on the always-suspect evidence of film. What will last, if things go well, is her genius as a choreographer, as a woman of the theater. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Writing happened to me. I didn’t decide to start writing or to be a writer. I never wanted to be a writer. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Eclipse’ is a concept piece, and its concept centers on 36 large light bulbs strung from above in a geometrical pattern and at different heights, some of them at times down below the dancers’ chest level. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Ballet in September used to be dead as a dodo. Now, with City Ballet’s ingenious decision to give us four weeks of repertory in the early fall, having cut down on the relentlessly long spring season when dancers, critics and audiences droop on the vine, we wake up after the dog days of August with something to look at. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) What makes a publishing house great? The easy answer is the consistency with which it produces books of value over a lengthy period of time. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) At a certain point, you have to face the fact that you’ve turned into an old fart (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) The eternal and uneasy relationship between ballet and modern dance endures, but radically altered in tone and intensity. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) One of the eternal mysteries of ballet is how untalented choreographers find backers for their work, and then find good dancers to perform in it. Is it irresistible charm? Chutzpah? Pure determination? Blackmail? Or are so many supposedly knowledgeable people just plain blind? (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Nothing is harder to create than brilliant comic ballets, except maybe brilliant full-evening comic ballets. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) For me, the real pleasure in writing is in having an excuse to pursue my curiosity about people who have meant something to me. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) The best seat in the house often depends on the ballet. For instance, much of the first act of ‘The Nutcracker’ is domestic and small scale, so it’s great to sit up close. But the second act features elaborate scenery and choreography, which are better to observe from a distance. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) We see a new generation of Russian authors who are not divided from their Western contemporaries either culturally or philosophically. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Wayne McGregor’s ‘Dyad 1929’ is a good example of this capable British choreographer’s work. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Every great dance company, even when it seems poised in perfect balance, needs constant renewal of both repertory and performers. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Tolstoy may be right about happy and unhappy families, but in ballet, it works the opposite way: All good ballets are different from each other and all bad ones are alike, at least in one crucial respect - they’re all empty. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) Has there ever been a dance career with more ups and downs than Twyla Tharp’s? Or with more varied ambitions? Or larger ambition? (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) In traditional ‘Swan Lakes,’ it’s Prince Siegfried’s 21st-birthday celebration, his coming-of-age. The entire court, from his mother the Queen on down, is on hand. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) All ballet galas are unbearable, but they’re unbearable in different ways (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) In 1998, Vanity Fair asked me to write a big piece for them on the 50th anniversary of the New York City Ballet. My life, to a great extent, had been spent at and with the New York City Ballet, and I decided to try it. It was very scary, writing about something I loved so much and had such strong opinions about. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) When I was at Cambridge in the early fifties, there was a school nearby for training Army officers in Russian, and some imaginative genius came up with the idea of putting on Russian plays with the students to improve their language skills. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes) What ‘War and Peace’ is to the novel and ‘Hamlet’ is to the theater, Swan Lake’ is to ballet - that is, the name which to many people stands for and sums up an art form. (Robert Gottlieb Quotes)

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