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.

Every dancer lives on the threshold of chucking it.

The first time I started choreographing was in the dark, in my living room, with the lights completely out, to some popular music on the radio. I put the radio on full blast and I started moving. I didn't know what it looked like. I didn't want to see it... I had to start in the dark.

Maybe its a generational thing, but I never wanted to be the best black dancer in the world. I just wanted to be the best.

I've been in a competitive situation almost all my life. I've been having a competition with myself and trying to be the best I could be.

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

I can't really hear the audience applause when I'm on stage. I'm totally immersed in the piece. But sometimes I get a lot of it and wonder, "Now, why did they applaud here?" If it's a white crowd, they usually applaud because they think it's a pretty movement. If it's a black crowd, it's usually because they identify with the message.