dancers-from-the-united-states

"I don’t think I want to commit to a franchise. It seems like a lot of time, and I’m scared. I’m a commitment-phobe maybe. But also, no one’s asking me to do anything."

"It’s literally the dream collab duo. It was incredibly surreal for me. To be in the flesh with Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke and be able to not only witness their process but be a part of it was life-changing."

"I don’t feel like I’m always good at representing myself publicly in real time, so I would almost rather say nothing at all? Because rather than have the wrong idea about me, someone just wouldn’t have any idea about me."

"I wrote to my mom saying 'Look, I don't think I want to be a dancer any more so I'm going to quit ballet and stay here. I will have this and this income next week.' I laid it out in a way that she couldn't say no because I was so organised."

"I’ve been really fortunate to work with a lot of women. There were a lot of talented women that were more than capable of directing the show. The goal is to not be patted on the back for hiring a woman, because it shouldn’t be an exceptional thing. It should just be commonplace that women should have equal opportunities as men."

"A couple of days a month, I would - when I was 14, when I was 15, when I was 16, I went to the studio, and they would show me storyboards. And they had very crude - they were 16 mm, very hot lights so that everything stood out very strongly, you know, almost in silhouette sometimes, especially when Snow White was running through the forest or doing anything of that nature. And I made it up. You know, it was almost like extended play for me."

"Though ballet is my passion and dream, it would not be entirely fair to say that it saved me, without acknowledging the human beings who played major roles in saving my life. Some of these people I loved; others I detested. But if it were not for them, I would not have a life, let alone be a ballerina."

"Her (Michaela DePrince) life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us. She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places."

"Despite being told the 'world wasn’t ready for Black ballerinas' or that 'Black ballerinas weren’t worth investing in,' she (Michaela DePrince) remained determined, focused, and began making big strides."

"Mass incarceration means that this country approaches its problems through the criminal-justice system. When faced with a social ill, our nation responds by building more prisons and jails. Because incarceration is the tool that we use to address societal problems, we have erected few limitations on the police’s ability to keep the social order. Police can stop whomever they want to stop whenever they want to stop them. They can investigate things that have no relation to the reason for the stop. They can use force. They can kill. [...] The criminal-justice system evidences the way a society that should care for and protect its people instead leaves black people susceptible to harm and with little control over their well-being. It does so through the tragically high numbers of black people who are in prisons and jails, in the disproportionate rates of incarceration of black people, in the violence of the tactics that governments have used to police communities of color, in the frequency with which black people’s encounters with the police end in death and in the infrequency with which police officers are indicted and convicted for killing black people. Proof of this country’s racial hierarchy is everywhere. May we dismantle it in all its cruel, life-ending forms."

"There is a racial hierarchy in the U.S., and people of color–particularly black people–are at the bottom of it."

"Police brutality against people of color is a spectacular form of the racial violence that our nation’s criminal-justice system inflicts every day. If we back up, we will see that the police encounter that led to Floyd’s death takes place within a larger context of mass incarceration. Presently, there are 2.3 million people housed in the country’s prisons, jails and other criminal-justice facilities. By most measures, this number is remarkable. It means that the U.S. has the largest prison population in the world. China comes in second, imprisoning 1.7 million people–over half a million fewer people than the U.S., in a country of 1.4 billion. The U.S. number translates to the imprisonment of 698 people for every 100,000. This rate dwarfs the incarceration rates of the countries that the U.S. usually thinks of as its peers. Indeed, the rate at which the U.S. incarcerates its population is roughly six times the highest rate of incarceration among Western European nations. While these numbers, in and of themselves, might be disconcerting, they become even more disturbing when we consider the racial geography of the U.S.’s prison population: people of color, particularly black people, are disproportionately represented among those who are incarcerated. While black people constitute 12% of the U.S. population, they constitute 33% of the prison population. Thus, black people are dramatically overrepresented in the country’s prisons and jails. Meanwhile, white people make up 64% of the U.S. population, but they make up just 30% of the prison population."

"I think that sexism existents everywhere"

"I've learned to love my brown eyes."

"If you're a creative person, what inspires you is always changing; it's always shifting."

"I want people to know that I'm a force to be reckoned with."

"This industry's so full of distractions: partying, drinking, sex, money. The priority for me is just to make music that people can connect with. I want to make something fresh that people may not understand"

"I'll usually run an ice-cube over my skin to close all the pores. That's pretty much my daily routine."

"Keep your brow game on point and always pack a lip gloss."

"One tip is to try and give your hair some time to relax. Don't over wash or over dry it."

"I'm the kind of person who doesn't wait for opportunities to fall from the sky."

"I like people who don't take themselves too seriously."

"My routine actually stays pretty simple and consistent. Every morning I use the X-Out Wash-In Treatment with warm water in the shower. I towel dry my face, apply a moisturizer-sunscreen, and go!"

"There is the devil at the door. I'm nearly going under, can't help but wonder who am I working for? No one's more enslaved now then the ones who falsely feel they are free. I've come to terms with the fact that nothing is what it seems. This life is an illusion. And everything you thought you knew isn't what it seems. Only truth will set you free. This new world has begun."

"Like anything, you just need to stay true to who you are and hope that social constructs don't get in the way of accomplishing your goals."

"My hope is that no matter your mood there is [on a Joyride albom] a song on there that speaks to you."

"Hopefully with a woman President the double standard will slowly begin to wane."

"I have learned that people can be very, very vicious."

"My mom always said, ‘Don't forget your roots, don't forget where you came from.’ I'm Chinese, and I'm proud to be Chinese. I always remember that."

"Be a caring person and help other people, have a kind heart and be very disciplined – because life is hard."

"I am CoCo Lee and it has been 27 years since my debut. No matter how big I stand on the international stage, I can still proudly say that I am Chinese and I am from Hong Kong, China."

"Care about the suffering of others and try to help if you can, love our Mother Earth, be a good listener, gain wisdom and have abundance of love to give to others. Be the boss of your own life. Stand up for something you believe in. Be an influential figure to inspire people. And keep spreading Love & Positivity everywhere. Remember there’s only one of you in the world, you are one of a kind. Life can be too short so dare to dream big!"

"Everyone in China is saying this is unfair. We are Chinese. We know what’s right and wrong. We are very clever. We are reasonable. Our ears are not numb."

"I feel very fortunate that I have gained so much experience performing all over the world and it’s great that I could give back by advising these young talents. There are a lot of great singers out there. But it’s all about how you make yourself stand out and make yourself memorable. These kids are the future of our music industry. It’s more meaningful to be able to play a part in shaping them into brilliant artists."

"If you YouTube the song Bad Romance, there’s a cape I wear when I first walk on stage. I only wear it for about 20 seconds but we spent weeks on that cape, making sure it was just right, making sure it would come off fluidly when I needed it to."

"She’s my role model, my idol, my legend. She taught me to be a strong, independent woman. I grew up watching how hard she worked. She made me realise that if you want something in this life you have to work hard at it. You’ve got to make the effort. Because of her I was never afraid of hardship. After witnessing all the hardship my mum had been through for us, I was more determined to make it so I could give her a better life."

"For a fashion shoot, I always come up with ideas. I’ll share with the team what I’d love to explore. But it’s also important to let creative people have ideas."

"I’d go to Lionel for a lot of advice. He was so supportive. He used to tell me: ‘CoCo, I never worried about you once. I always knew that you would kill it.’ He’s always been very sweet and supportive."

"In being a judge... I would try to be a good role model by showing them my work ethic and by simply being a caring friend as I know how brutal this industry can be."

"Life seemed unbearable at times but I adapted the attitude of a 'female warrior'."

"I’m not afraid. I’m fearless. I dare to do things that people don’t expect me to do. Even before I became well known, I was this Chinese singer, singing ballads in Taiwan, wearing shorts and looking like one of the Spice Girls. I was different from everybody else. That was 1994. All the women singers were elegant, wearing dresses and speaking softly, whereas I was quirky and had a crazy loud laugh. I wasn’t afraid to be different and just be me."

"People were telling me the pressure was nothing like anything you’ve experienced before. But I felt if I was going to be afraid of the consequences I would never make a breakthrough. After all, it’s the same as breaking through in the United States. If I had been afraid of failure, I would never have taken that step. Sometimes in life you have to be brave and challenge yourself to do something that is so out of the ordinary and out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you have to be a little bit crazy to do this."

"Inside my solo album, there was a bio of me. Under ‘what is your goal?’ I said: ‘to be an international sensation.’ That is so crazy. A 19-year-old who has just started out – who the heck are you to dream that big? But you’ve gotta dream big. When you have a big goal, you can surpass yourself trying to reach it. If you don’t, you never grow."

"LOVE & FAITH ~my 2 favorite words that I carry strongly in my heart which I desperately needed to get thru this incredibly difficult year."

"When CoCo and I first met, we were probably 18 and 19 years old. She had a radiant smile, an infectious laugh, a larger-than-life personality. She already had all the qualities that were to make her a future star. As the years progressed, our paths continued to cross. All the while, her star kept rising. She was the biggest star at Sony, and then she was the biggest star in Asia. I remember her singing at the Oscars [and when] Sony New York signed her to be the first Chinese artist to break into the US market. Mariah Carey’s agent signed her. Everybody wanted to work with CoCo, and for good reason. She was the best. CoCo Lee broke down international barriers, before any other Chinese singer did. Let’s always remember her as a brave pioneer and an important musical legend."

"I would like to do a movie about my mum... The story’s got romance. It’s got conflict. It’s got humour and lots of drama. It’s always been a little dream of mine to make the film. She’s been through so much and I learned from my mum that when you have the power to help and give back, you must."

"I will never forget your smile, voice, and dance! You are the most humble genius."

"I do love singing covers. Funny thing is, I have always preferred singing other people’s songs and making them my own. That’s why this show is perfect for me."

"I almost had a heart attack. I was going to be the first Chinese artist to perform at the Oscars. It’s that Chinese pride. I want people to know that we are talented in many ways: not only at kung fu, computers or cooking Chinese food. I felt like I had a lot to prove."

"One of my goals is to set up a management or entertainment company to nurture artists... I want to give opportunities to showcase younger singers, every chance I get."