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.

Dance is not endangered - it will always find a way to express itself.

Excellence is the name of the game.

I've danced all over the world, and people are people. We cannot cut off from each other in life. In order to lead, you can't do that.

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

I haven't had a family, but I don't think of that as a sacrifice: my dancers are my family.

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?