"How many are those among you who ask themselves or their teachers, 'how can I be sure that I'm beautiful, that what I do is pleasing to the eye? How know that my audience admires me?' And in answer I ask you: does the flower, freely blooming in the Sun, worry that it does not please it, does it worry of its beauty? Does the glowing flame of a candle worry that it does not bring enough light? Truly these are children of Nature, and they worry not of their beauty, or who admires them, or whether they are pleasing to the eye. Each works and shines according to its inner necessity, knowing it can only be the best it was created for; and if it follows it - its inner necessity - it can only be beautiful. You are children of Nature, and if you follow your own necessity, you must not worry ever of attaining your goal, of being pleasing to the eye, of the opinion of you audience.
"But your necessity is Joy; for man's utmost need in life is the quest of Joy: with Joy there is nothing he can't attain. Therefore only through Joy can you attain beauty. Any manifestment of joy is beautiful, for Joy is life in Man, and beauty is nothing but life. When you move, when you dance, think not of pleasing others, but think rather of pleasing yourself, and take pleasure in using your body's strength, vitality, flexibility, just as it is; and not as you believe other people might want you to use it.
"For the true artist follows only their own vision, not that of others: and their own vision comes from within, not without."
-The Living Dancer
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