Daily Inspiration Quote by Siobhan Davies

There is a quiet sting in Davies's praise: the dancers get better, the work does not. She starts with the generous, almost parental satisfaction of watching performers "improve greatly", then pivots into a cooler, more structural observation. The phrase "consciously aware" reads like a choreographer catching herself mid-applause, forced to see the ecosystem behind the artistry. It's not that the performances lack quality; it's that excellence has outpaced opportunity.

The real subtext is a critique of cultural economics. Dance produces bodies trained for intensity, precision, and risk, yet the wider industry often treats them like a luxury good: admired, underfunded, easily cut when budgets tighten. Davies frames it with understatement - "there isn't enough work" - but the implication is sharper: talent is being wasted by scarcity, and the responsibility doesn't sit with the dancers.

There's also a subtle emotional contradiction. She "go[es] and see[s]" their performances, suggesting loyalty and ongoing community, but what she witnesses is an uneven bargain: dancers keep paying in sweat and years, while institutions, venues, and commissioning structures don't keep pace. The line reads as both lament and warning. When a field rewards improvement with unemployment, it quietly teaches its artists that ambition is a trap.

In a sector that celebrates "emerging talent", Davies points to the less photogenic truth: emergence into what, exactly?