"I have no desire to prove anything by dancing. I have never used it as an outlet or a means of expressing myself. I just dance. I just put my feet in the air and move them around"
- Fred Astaire
About this Quote
Fred Astaire's quote catches his plain and intrinsic relationship with dance. He articulates a technique that is without any grandiose intent or emotional exposition. Astaire states, "I have no desire to prove anything by dancing," which suggests a detachment from the pressure of validation or the need to communicate extensive messages through his art. This perspective highlights a plain sincerity, where dance is not burdened with external expectations or an avenue for self-expression.
Astaire further elaborates, "I have actually never utilized it as an outlet or a means of expressing myself." This implies that, unlike many artists who treat their medium as a psychological or expressive outlet, Astaire views dance purely as a physical activity. There is a sense of pureness in his method, as he refrains from conflating dance with intricate psychological or psychological states. His statement stresses dancing for its own sake, resonating with the concept of art for art's sake, where the intrinsic happiness of the activity takes precedence over any interpretive or meaningful function.
The simplicity of his words, "I simply dance," highlights a natural and uncomplicated engagement with his craft. It recommends a focus on the physicality and the cheerful movement itself, devoid of interpretive layers. When he states, "I simply put my feet in the air and move them around," Astaire distills the act of dancing to its most essential form-- an event of movement and rhythm.
In summary, Fred Astaire encapsulates a philosophy of engagement with dance that prioritizes the basic happiness and physicality of the act over deeper meaningful or self-revealing functions. His perspective welcomes a gratitude of art that is spontaneous, unselfconscious, and simply celebratory, exposing a special philosophy that values the procedure over the product.
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