Damian Woetzel

Where a city is only focused on one aspect, it becomes a city without a soul, not a city people want to live in. ”

The last time I had to make a career decision, I was 17. I could have gone to Ballet Theatre or National Ballet of Canada. There were options. But as I became exposed to the Robbins repertoire, I realized that there was a living genius in the house. ”

My whole life was geared toward being a highly educated person. ”

Fulfilling your mission is one thing; vision is another, and having a commitment to something leads you to do better work. ”

The retirement timing is always a tricky thing for a dancer. I think it's different for everyone. How you say goodbye to the thing you have really focused on that much is a tough one. I've always intended to leave in good shape, to exit on a high note. ”

If I see somebody dancing really well, it can make me want to dance. Or it could be the music. But perhaps the thing I miss the most is that when you're dancing, everyday concerns vanish. It's a unique world. ”

I traveled so much to dance that I feel a part of many places, but New York is where I spent most of my life and where my career has been - it's the place where I exist. ”

We say arts education is good for general education, but that's not the point. The arts are what great nations are remembered for. They are a mirror. ”

I guess I was phenomenally lucky that I was introduced to dancing because I'm suited to it. It would be very weird if you had this natural ability for something and you never discovered it. It must happen all the time. ”

In schools giving students a full education, not to create great artists but about the right to have full expression and imagination and creativity, along with an acknowledgement that everybody learns differently. You try and you fail and you try again. All those skills are useful in the workplace, too. ”