I'm moved by contraries, by opposites, the strength that was my mother's eyes, the beauty of my father's hands.

Concert dance is the hardest kind of dance. We tour constantly, around the world, year in and year out. It just doesn't work for everybody. It's the lifestyle, it's the stamina, it's the love, it's the dedication, it's the commitment, it's all those words.

I felt the naivete of a child in my dancing. I cherished that feeling. I had what I call a knowledgeable naivete, and it worked for me.

I have been guilty of watching Westerns without acknowledging that Native Americans have gone through the same madness as African Americans. Isn't it extraordinary that sometimes the most offended have not seen others being offended?

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?

Excellence is the name of the game.

Dancing is a gift. You are supposed to do it; it's like breathing.