I saw the Nutcracker to be a dummy as I thought of its mouth moving like a nutcracker - and also find them pretty scary as they almost have a life of their own. Matthew Bourne More Quotes by Matthew Bourne More Quotes From Matthew Bourne When it comes down to it, it's giving people a good night out in a basic way and I think my company guarantees that. There's always something new and something to excite us and surprise us, and that's why people come back, I hope. Matthew Bourne goodnight good-night thinking People strangely revere dance. They see it as another world, and dancers are somehow mysterious - just because they don't speak. Matthew Bourne dancer people world I wish I was more adventurous. Matthew Bourne adventurous wish It's one of the things that looks good written down, but the reality is that you think about the pieces you're doing and try to bear in mind everyone in the audience. Matthew Bourne mind reality thinking I once went through the dustbin outside David Bowie's house. Matthew Bourne dustbin bowie house The reason I'm travelling so much is because of reasons that weren't completely planned. Several of the shows became successful and were invited to go to other places and they've all happened at similar times. Matthew Bourne successful journey reason Sometimes you don't know what you've got until you put it in front of an audience - and the enthusiasm for the show from the audience has been just incredible. Matthew Bourne know you enthusiasm sometimes My company is known for being funny as well as moving. You get a bit of everything in these shows. I think people know they're going to have a surprising experience. Matthew Bourne you experience funny people Astaire never thought of what he was doing as balletic, but Kelly was always trying to dance with women on points. And his choreography is so showy and flashy. He always looks self-satisfied to me. Matthew Bourne thought me women dance With any project there's one or two things that you really want to do and that's going to crack it. Matthew Bourne project things you want People know that they're going to see something which is entertaining but challenging as well because of the form it's in. It's dance theatre and it requires you to use your imagination - it's not straight forward. Matthew Bourne you dance imagination people A lot of the people who have come to know the company in the last few years will not have seen this piece. Matthew Bourne will know company people It's one of my strongest dance pieces - having just done Play Without Words which was veering away from a lot of dance - I thought it would be nice to go back to something with almost the most dance I'd done. Matthew Bourne words thought nice dance I'm very conscious that I want the dance audience to respond and respect what I'm doing, so I'm always very true to the music and I honour the music in the way I see it - I don't mess around with the music. Matthew Bourne respect music dance way I would like to have directed Hollywood musicals in the '40s and '50s. Matthew Bourne musicals would like hollywood I've always been excited by the strangeness of ballet, but I can't bear it when people just come forward and do a turn in the air for no reason. Matthew Bourne forward always reason people I'm not completely trained in any one area - I'm not a tap person or a ballet person. I don't have a big back-up of steps; I can't just fall back on what I know. Matthew Bourne person back know fall People get excited about things like 'Swan Lake' because they generate a personal involvement. If you set up the story properly, audiences respond to the ambiguity. People ask, 'What exactly is happening in Act Four?' and I never say. I can't put it into words, but they've got a feeling about it, and that's good enough. Matthew Bourne words good you people I'm a believer in presenting something that is worth paying to see. I've always felt lucky in that the work that pleases me pleases other people as well. Matthew Bourne me lucky work people With my work, it's not possible to just cast a production and leave it. I have to nurture the group of dancers to make it happen. Matthew Bourne leave group make-it-happen work