I've always thought my creative life began the moment my mother called me Twyla.

I thought I had to make an impact on history. I had to become the greatest choreographer of my time. That was my mission. Posterity deals with us however it sees fit. But I gave it 20 years of my best shot.

This is not a pleasant route for many young people to consider. You have to be either hopelessly passionate, or very stupid.

Whether it's a painter finding his way each morning to the easel, or a medical researcher returning daily to the laboratory, the routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightning bolt of inspiration, maybe more.

I have a sort of tactility about music. I go into record stores and just run my fingers over it, the spines.

Skill is how you close the gap between what you can see in your mind's eye and what you can produce; the more skill you have, the more sophisticated and accomplished your ideas can be. With absolute skill comes absolute confidence.

Whom the gods wish to destroy, they give unlimited resources.