Quotes by PATSY SWAYZE, L.A.- based choreographer and master teacher

"From the beginning, I tell dancers that I'm a taskmaster, but I will never ask of them the impossible. I ask them to be on time, be cooperative, show good manners, and be ready to work. I say take off the baggy sweats and the bulky legwarmers and let me see what's going on with the body. I want to see how well-trained they are. I remind them, "This is not about you...it's about the project and the task of working well together to make it happen."

"I feel the same way about teaching. A teacher's only as good as the student allows him or her to be, by being involved, by being active, alert, and interested in what's going on. I don't accept excuses or moaning or groaning or complaining. We work for the joy of it. Team work makes it fun, productive, and rewarding for everyone."

"It's not always the most gifted dancers that I hire. It's the total package. The one who comes ready to work, is considerate of others, who has a smile of his face and an attitude that's say, 'let's go, I'm ready.'"