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 More Quotes by Judith Jamison More Quotes From Judith Jamison It's a real gift to have a husband and wife in the company that love each other and that work together. They check on each other emotionally and physically. That's beautiful to me. Judith Jamison husband real beautiful I believe in spirit and then I believe a manifestation of spirit is dance Judith Jamison manifestation spirit believe Learn the craft of knowing how to open your heart and to turn on your creativity. There's a light inside of you. Judith Jamison women heart inspirational Dance is bigger than the physical body. 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 dance inspirational Dance is about never-ending aspiration. Judith Jamison never-ending aspiration dance If you look at a dancer in silence, his or her body will be the music. If you turn the music on, that body will become an extension of what you're hearing. Judith Jamison dancer silence looks You don't enter a dance studio and say "I can't do that." If you do, then why are you in the studio in the first place? Judith Jamison studios ifs firsts I can't really hear the audience applause when I'm on stage. I'm totally immersed in the piece. But sometimes I get a lot of it and wonder, "Now, why did they applaud here?" If it's a white crowd, they usually applaud because they think it's a pretty movement. If it's a black crowd, it's usually because they identify with the message. Judith Jamison dance white thinking One you've danced, you always dance. Judith Jamison dance 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 african-american racism talking Dancing is a gift. You are supposed to do it; it's like breathing. Judith Jamison breathing dancing Once you've danced, you always dance. You can't deny the gifts that God sends your way Judith Jamison deny way People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them. Judith Jamison dance giving people Dancing is being trusted with other people's guts; choreographing is trusting other people with yours. When I choreograph I'm giving a dancer something to do and trusting the dancer to do it and build on it. Judith Jamison dancing giving people I want to know who you are as a person, and then I want you to develop as a whole human being. Judith Jamison humans persons want I've always felt that complement of opposites: body and soul, solitude and companionship, and in the dance studio, contraction and release, rise and fall. Judith Jamison soul opposites fall It's never too early to teach your children about the tool of money. Teach them how to work for it and they learn pride and self-respect. Teach them how to save it and they learn security and self-worth. Teach them how to be generous with it and they learn love. Judith Jamison self-worth pride children So many people dwell on negativity and I've survived by ignoring it: it dims your light and it's harder each time to turn the power up again. Judith Jamison negativity light people I'm moved by contraries, by opposites, the strength that was my mother's eyes, the beauty of my father's hands. Judith Jamison eye mother father The first time I started choreographing was in the dark, in my living room, with the lights completely out, to some popular music on the radio. I put the radio on full blast and I started moving. I didn't know what it looked like. I didn't want to see it... I had to start in the dark. Judith Jamison light dark moving