Quotes
QUOTES
"The Bullwhip: It's an art, it's a tool, it's a weapon,
It's a way of making love." — R Dante —
Tools of the Trade
“THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING US! You were a pleasure to work with all throughout this process. “
(Justin Akin, Charlotte Motor Speedway)
"The mesmerizing, seemingly incongruous act, which they perform versions of for wild west shows, circuses, cabarets and nightclubs nationwide, melds belly dancing with Robert's ballet of leather..." "...The whip can be peaceful, or powerful. With her standing with her back to him, Robert can curl the whip around her body and snap in two a piece of plastic foam she holds in her hand. Or he can make the whip alight on her finger and wrap gently around it, or he can slice a piece of newspaper from the arch of her back."
(Minneapolis Star Tribune feature article, "The Bullwhipper and the Belly Dancer")
“In Dante’s hands, the whip is a serpent, undulating lazily just above the ground. It is a stylus, tracing graceful figure-eights in the air. It is a knife, slicing a playing card in half or snatching a leaf from a tree. It is a musical instrument, cracking rapidly three times, pausing, then cracking once more, like the rat-a-tat of some gigantic drum. It is a lover’s hand, gently caressing an outstretched wrist as it drifts earthward...“
(Los Angeles Times - “Coiled and Ready”)
“Minneapolis performer claims world mark as 'Fastest Whip' in the west (north, south and east, too)”
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
“Fastest bullwhip this side of the Mississippi”
(Associated Press)
"The whip comes to life in Robert's hand ...... and dances, often while it appears as if Robert is doing little more than standing and holding the whip. The rolling and waving motions of the whip across the floor and through the air are mesmerizing. I suspect there are very few people capable of displaying this level of finesse with a bullwhip... Besides astounding accuracy, the energy Robert brings to a whipping scene is transportive…"
From Mistress Troy's Blog:
"A Private Bullwhip Lesson with Robert Dante"
“When I teach, I refer to you often as a mentor of mine and I quote you and Reference you frequently.” (HR)
REGARDING DANTE . . .
- "Also got a signed book by @RobertDante as well as the tie he wore during his talk/performance about "controlling the dragon" (the spiritual/mental side of working with singletails)❤️ For me, that session was one of the highlights of the con. Not that I am suddenly a big fan of singletails, but he gave us a peak inside his mind. It felt like watching the Dalai Lama, Indiana Jones and Doctor Who (1,4 & 11) in one body D_MOON_ Sept. 2024
- “I really enjoyed your workshop … It was both inspiring and humbling at the same time, helped me see how to improve whilst also showing me how far I have yet to go.”
- “At the conference I just attended, your name came up in every single whip class I attended.”
- “You made the event very successful… Your performance was entertaining, informative and professional .”
- “You & Mary were amazing to watch! I learned a lot & can't wait to see you guys again.”
- “Thank you again for making my first bull whip experience one of pure pleasure and elevated senses. You stated your goal was to make it positive and positive it was and Beyond!!! You are a true master of your craft and a man of High Caliber. I feel it my honor to have met you.”
- “I had the pleasure of attending your amazing workshop this weekend. The knowledge that you shared was very helpful. What really impressed me was your encouragement and enthusiasm< with those that where having more difficultly getting going.”
- Fantastic presentation!. Thank you!”
- “You were both a breath of fresh air...”
- “ It was you that brought me into this in the first place and there is special place in my heart that you reside.”
- “Spending the weekend with you and (Mary) was a treat beyond expectation . Thank you for taking the time to come and share your knowledge and great times...We learned so much and had such a great time.“
- “Thank you for the class this past Tuesday in Fresno. I found it to be highly informative and entertaining .“
- “I really enjoyed your professionalism and knowledge of whips during class at KK. Thank you so much for teaching us what is clearly one of your passions .”
- “You gave an awesome demonstration last night.Thank you for an inspiring workshop and friendly dinner aferwards.”
- “Your class was both entertaining and informative . As you said, most things went in and out of my head, but I had a few light bulbs turn on. “
- “Thank you for your energy, passion and mastery that made this intensive, one of the best I have attended. It is one thing to have instruction about technique...I have been to many of those...It is quite another matter to be immersed in a program that focuses on the expression of that calling. Brilliant! I was honored to have been taught by you.”
- “You are also an Internationally known Presenter and Showman! Pleased don't be embarassed.”
- “We are fans of your work and own several books.”
- “You are an amazingly skilled and hilariously funny person. I could not have enjoyed your demo, more. Thank you for working with me personally with the whip.”
- “… The showmanship/sarcasm was a perfect blend of the two. ”
- “A very informative and wonderful demo.“
- “That was a very memorable weekend. ”
- “You’re a good and patient instructor. ”
- “Just wanted to say again THANK YOU for such a memorable weekend. Learned a lot from You and Mary, and had an AMAZING TIME at breakfast.“
- “I especially loved that you talked about the esoteric energy transfer when so many people only discuss technical details of play, please don't ever stop including that!”
- “Thanks again for the excellent demo tonight at the Riverbound anniversary. M and I have looked forward to this for several months and you did not disappoint. It was excellent. ”
- “It was so great to meet you in person.”
- “Thanks for a wonderful workshop. It was very exciting to be able to crack a whip for the first time! ”
- “We have had an amazing time And learned a lot. Thank you!”
- “Thank you for your wonderful workshops this weekend. It's always great to learn some new information that can be immediately put into practice (and practice and practice).”“
- “I enjoyed your wonderful presentation greatly!“
- “It was a pleasure to meet you, and I thoroughly enjoyed the workshops. Please come again soon“
- “I wanted to thank you for your taking the time to train a newbie this weekend. The gift of the whip was above and beyond.“
- Thank you for your incredibly informative, as well as entertaining classes… You particularly helped me with "Volleys", which tonight in the backyard were popping freely for the first time ever. And so many other small pointers that add up to large improvements overall - tracks, swing from the gut, whip follows the handle, crack with the belly of the whip, and on and on... Thank You..!!”
- “The demo was wonderful and watching you play later was fantastic. Probably one of the most intense scenes I've seen there.
- “I can honestly say my heart will do a happy hop every time I think of you.”
- “Thank you for your instruction and all things whip shared on Thursday and today. I am noticing immediate differences in my relationship to 'pushing and pulling' my whip.”
- “I will never forget any of it, every noise the whip made, the feel of the air, the beautiful and intense introduction to my new world.”
- “It was an honor to meet you and watch your performance...“
- “Thank you so much for a wonderful experience . Whips create a unique connection and exchange of energy, even though the two partners are several feet apart. You and Mary are a delight.”
- “I had been too intimidated in the past and was shying away from the huge amount of practice it would take. You have now demystified it for me and made it fun . I will enjoy practicing!”
- “Thanks again for sharing your knowledge, I consider it a real privilege to have met you in person.“
- “What began as a fear of whips, quickly morphed into an appreciation...and dare I say... awe of the art and skill . Of course, I understand that has everything to do with you!”
- “It was an experience indeed to listen to your knowledge of the whip and to be hands-on in such well presented classes.“
- “I must admit, I feel at a great disadvantage not having a teacher like You here in the closer NY region... “
- “You untied my blindfold with a whip. Pretty amazing .”
- “I learned a lot, and I am really hoping to practice and improve!“
- “Thank you for an inspiring workshop tonight and friendly dinner afterwards.“
- “It was an absolute pleasure meeting you...Everyone here at home is a bit jealous!”
- “Thank you for your energy, passion and mastery that made this intensive one of the best I have attended . It is one thing to have instruction about technique...I have been to many of those on all kinds of ... topics. It is quite another matter to be immersed in a program that focuses on the expression of that calling. Brilliant! I was honored to have been taught by you.”
- “What an absolute blast. “
- “Having been a fan of yours for decades now, … you were always more legend than real … I will forever be grateful.”
- “You made the event very successful...Your performance was entertaining, informative and professional... Thank you for replacing the fall on my whip. “
- “You & Mary were amazing to watch! “
- “Looking forward to reading your book and spending some quality time with my whips!” (W)
- “THANK YOU for such a memorable weekend. Learned a lot from You and had an AMAZING TIME.“
- “I especially loved that you talked about the esoteric energy transfer when so many people only discuss technical details, please don't ever stop including that!”
- “Thanks for a wonderful workshop. I've learnt a lot and it was very exciting to be able to crack a whip for the first time! .“
- “Thank you for your wonderful workshops this weekend. It's always great to learn some new information that can be immediately put into practice (and practice and practice).”
- “I figure that the whip has all of the knowledge that you imparted to it, and if I'm smart enough it can even teach me.”
- “I was amazed at just how much information you gave to us in this weekend. ”
- ““I want to thank you firstly for all of your kind words and secondly for all of your hard work and everything that you give back...”
- “Thank you for your incredibly informative, as well as entertaining classes... I enjoyed meeting you. You particularly helped me with "Volleys", which tonight in the backyard were popping freely for the first time ever. And so many other small pointers that add up to large improvements overall - tracks, swing from the gut, whip follows the handle, crack with the belly of the whip, and on and on... Thank You..!!!”
- “Thank you for your instruction and all things whip shared on Thursday and today. I am noticing immediate differences in my relationship to 'pushing and pulling' my whip.“
- “You taught my husband how to use a single tail — about an hour or two at the time. He's not put it down since.”
- “A great presentation!”
- “ THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING US! You were a pleasure to work with all throughout this process. “ (Justin Akin, Charlotte Motor Speedway)
- “I just wanted to thank you again for all the helpful bullwhip insights. It was great to meet you and I really enjoyed your classes and just hanging around and practicing. In addition to your skill with the whips you seem like a really nice and interesting person”
- "The mesmerizing, seemingly incongruous act, which they perform versions of for wild west shows, circuses, cabarets and nightclubs nationwide, melds belly dancing with Robert's ballet of leather ..." "...The whip can be peaceful, or powerful. With her standing with her back to him, Robert can curl the whip around her body and snap in two a piece of plastic foam she holds in her hand. Or he can make the whip alight on her finger and wrap gently around it, or he can slice a piece of newspaper from the arch of her back." (Minneapolis Star Tribune feature article, "The Bullwhipper and the Belly Dancer")
- “In Dante’s hands, the whip is a serpent, undulating lazily just above the ground. It is a stylus, tracing graceful figure-eights in the air. It is a knife, slicing a playing card in half or snatching a leaf from a tree. It is a musical instrument, cracking rapidly three times, pausing, then cracking once more, like the rat-a-tat of some gigantic drum. It is a lover’s hand, gently caressing an outstretched wrist as it drifts earthward...“(Los Angeles Times - “Coiled and Ready”)
- “Minneapolis performer claims world mark as 'Fastest Whip' in the west (north, south and east, too)” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
- “Fastest bullwhip this side of the Mississippi” (Associated Press)
- “You are a gem... You made me comfortable with something that I was having anxiety about.”
- " The whip comes to life in Robert's hand ...... and dances, often while it appears as if Robert is doing little more than standing and holding the whip. The rolling and waving motions of the whip across the floor and through the air are mesmerizing. I suspect there are very few people capable of displaying this level of finesse with a bullwhip... Besides astounding accuracy, the energy Robert brings to a whipping scene is transportive…" From Mistress Troy's Blog:
- "A Private Bullwhip Lesson with Robert Dante"
- "I saw (Dante) using a whip...I watched and said to myself.."I wanna do that!"
- "Robert had a grace and style that instantly changed my opinion of whips."
- “Just wanted to say thank you to you and Mary for the great classes and positive energy .”
- “I really enjoyed your workshop!”
- “It was a great experience to learn from you. I rarely enjoyed as much as I did and meeting you”
- “As someone new to learning whip it is a great honor to be able to take a class from one of the legends... ”
- “Fantastic start to a very fun evening...”
- “I’ve been a fan of yours since I first first read ‘Screw the Roses...’”
- “I just wanted to say thanks for your help with those tricks and advice.”
- “Glad to have met you. Your tips convinced me, and I'm looking for my first whip.”
- “ You were amazing. ”
- “I'm a huge fan of yours.”
- “Seeing your name brought back some very fine memories of you at Gemini Manor and even a party in LA so many years ago… I miss seeing your whip skills.”
- “Thank you for sharing your love of whips! Your passion is inspiring. ” (MW)
- “Loved your presentation yesterday.”
- “Your class was amazing last night.”
- “Thanks again for a great class, and I appreciate the individual attention you put towards everyone that came.”
- “I was recently appraised of your long standing commitment to the world of whips...Thank you!”
- “Thank you again for sharing your time and knowledge with us.”
- “Thanks for taking the time to teach me whip cracking last night. I had a lot of fun!”
- “ You gave me my first whip lesson , albeit, a short one in a demo, but it was the start of a fun relationship with the whip as an instrument. I remember clearly that day.”
- “Sir, I truly enjoyed your class and your talk about the energy of a whip. I totally agree, and I truly find my spiritual place, the dance of good and evil, passive and active.”
- “ I left with more understanding and practical knowledge than any other whip class I have attended … I was more in tune with "feeling" the whip as you had said. Within a few stroke my cracks started to sound more like low caliber rifle shots and before I went in I had a few sounding more like high caliber rifle shots. I never thought that little whip of mine would make that kind of crack. Not only are the cracks more intense, but the number of times I catch my own flesh with the whip has dropped considerably, I am particularly happy about that.”
- “Thank you so much for traveling and teaching whips in our rural area yesterday (and today)!! I certainly appreciated your time and knowledge shared with us.”
- “It was an amazing demonstration. I learned so much! You have great presence and can command a room .”
- “I’ve attended a couple of your presentations and always gained knowledge and encouragement to work on my skill.”
- “I know I will never forget you.”
- “You seem like a great person to hang around.”
- “Watching you up close was a joy, I learned a lot,”
- “Thank you so much for a very informative workshop last night. It was really fantastic. I got a lot out of it! It was great to see your passion for your work, and I even learned some physics!”
- “I recently took your Master Class . Thanks for giving such an informative class, it cleared up a few things for me and was a lot of fun.”
- “If you make your way through NYC, I'll attend whatever class you give or schedule a private. My whip skills have improved quite a bit since the class I took with you...It was a memorable lesson and I took away quite a lot from your instruction.”
- “I really enjoyed your supreme technique and your dedication and consistency working single tails. I hope to meet your again soon in Denmark.”
- “TI enjoyed your presentations, however I enjoyed your intellect much more!”
- “I purchased your DVD from on here a while ago when I started trying to learn how to use a single tail. Since then I have found it most useful to head back and watch.”
- “ There are few masters of your art , and it was awesome to see your work.”
- “I knew nothing about whips, now I feel like I do.”
- “My goodness but you were so inspiring !”
- “Your class was inspiring. Thank you for sharing your gift.”
- “Thanks again for the demo tonight! It was a great experience and has changed my stance on whips!”
- “I have been happily cracking since your workshop in San Francisco... Your advice on channeling energy has led to my use feeling much more relaxed than when I was throwing it.”
- “I enjoyed your presentations in Des Moines!”
- “Seeing you inspired my curiosity.“
- “The class You did in Baltimore was awesome.”
- “Something you said in class last June has had a big impact. You told the class to pick up your whip and "do what feels right to you". I suppose I was already doing that. But hearing you say those words has allowed me to do what feels right to me with confidence. Instead of doubt. And that has made all the difference.”
- “I have seen a number of whip classes in other states, but I learned a great deal to respect them even more because of your presentation.”
- “You gave a wonderful performance!”
- “ You are a piece of history that started well before my time.”
- “We really enjoyed your class – It was so much fun!!”
- “When I teach, I refer to you often as a mentor of mine and I quote you and Reference you frequently.”
- “His skill is breathtaking as he directs his whip as if just willing its placement. If you want to add an element of surprise to your event, I'd highly recommend hiring Dante .” (Janet Lawrence, Distinctive Celebrations LLC )
- “Thank you! You were a bright spot! ” (Walker Art Center, Minneapolis )
- “Your act is professional, unique -- and a real treat.” (David Walbridge, Mondo Fest)
- " You were such a hit! We loved having you there - it was the only time during the evening that the audience gave the stage their FULL attention!" (Sara Barsness, Minn. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation)
WORDS TO LIVE BY
"Fast is Fine, but Accuracy is Forever."
— Wyatt Earp
"Do the thing, and you have the Power."
— R.W. Emerson
“His skill is breathtaking as he directs his whip as if just willing its placement. If you want to add an element of surprise to your event, I'd highly recommend hiring Dante.”
(Janet Lawrence, Distinctive Celebrations LLC )
“Thank you! You were a bright spot!”
(Walker Art Center, Minneapolis )
“Your act is professional, unique -- and a real treat.”
(David Walbridge, Mondo Fest)
"You were such a hit! We loved having you there - it was the only time during the evening that the audience gave the stage their FULL attention!"
(Sara Barsness, Minn. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation)
All material on this website © copyright 2024-2025 by Robert Dante