Patricia McBride Quotes

In Europe, a great dancer might be on the same level as a movie star. In America, not so.

It was a pleasure to meet President Obama and Michelle. I'm not a political person, but I admire what he has done.

I always had an inferiority complex, like I wasn't good enough. I was shy. But dancing gave me so much joy, and I was good at it. I felt like a whole person because I could dance.

Breathe through your movements.

When you're a star, critics can't make or break you.

When I hung up my toe shoes, I didn't look back. In all my years, I have never looked back.

I have such respect for ... the Kennedy Center Honors. To be an artist in America and to be honored for it is extraordinary. In Europe, they really honor their artists. And you are on a very high level. And here it's not as revered as it is in Europe or Russia or anywhere in the world.

I am just so thankful that my mom was a fantastic mom. She wasn't a stage mother; she didn't push me. She was happy if I was happy. We are so different. I was very shy; my mom did all the talking. She was my strength. She never expected that I would be this ballerina.

Conrad Ludlow was an extraordinary partner ... We just called him the greatest partner because he just knew what a woman's balance was.

Mr. Balanchine wanted me to be myself. He didn't want me to look like anyone else. I love teaching our company dancers the Balanchine ballets. I try to give them what was passed down to me and what I learned from him. They dance it so beautifully. It also keeps me close to Mr. Balanchine. He's with me every single day.

When you dance, it takes a lot of stamina, but it never seemed like work 'cause I was doing something that I so loved doing. It was always a joy. And you know, to have beautiful ballets made specially for you is such an honor. I always said it was better than diamonds.

I danced with Jacques d'Amboise. At that time, he was the tallest man in the company. So it was a different kind of choreography. It was lyrical.

In the beginning, he taught you how to hold your fingers, use your head, hold your shoulders, how you glissade, bourre - the exact way he wanted you to do the steps. It was relearning the whole Balanchine technique.

I want to be happy, to look back and feel I danced well at the end of my career and didn't dwindle off. It would be too sad.

I used to say I didn't want to teach. I was still excited about dancing. It's hard to do both. It's as exhausting teaching as it is to dance.

I was determined to dance. That's why I lasted so long.

Mr. Balanchine was a great gentleman, and he loved his dancers. He was devoted to his company. He came to the ballet every night, and his presence was felt. It was like the whole company was dancing for him. And if he liked you, he trusted you to be yourself. He didn't try to change you and make you into something you were not.

Most ballets are more interesting than most men.

I felt that Balanchine was my father towards me. He was the person I most admired and looked up to.

The ballets you do make you into the final product you are. And I had extraordinary partners.