Natalia Makarova Quotes & Sayings

“To look back all the time is boring. Excitement lies in tomorrow.”

“It's a hard life... but if I could, I would do it all again.”

“You cannot dance an arabesque in 'Swan Lake' and 'Nutcracker' the same way.”

“It's not possible to be perfect - you can always do something better. I'm never proud of what I've done. Sometimes, I'm not ashamed.”

“Technical things are getting more mechanical. Take 'Swan Lake,' the Black Swan pas de deux. Now, my goodness, they're turning not just 32 fouettes - but double or triple pirouettes.”

“Dancers, many dancers today can do so much technically. You can give them steps that are complicated, then more complicated, pyrotechnical - and they can execute these steps to perfection. But to do simple steps with a pure classical line, that is truly difficult.”

“I really feel sorry for new generation. It's hard to find backbone. I never had crisis of identity. But I think many Americans have it.”

“I don't keep my secrets or my knowledge to myself.”

“Even the ears must dance.”

“I travel like a gypsy, and I didn't know how I could perform and be a mother.”