Every movement has a human story.

Three artists, three sourced biographies. The illustrations show fictional characters.

An interview that preserves context

Begin with open questions: who taught you, where did you practise, what changed, and which memories matter most? Separate the speaker’s words from the interviewer’s interpretation.

Before recording or sharing, discuss what can be public and how corrections will be handled. A useful profile connects a person, a practice, a place and a source without inventing status or recognition.

Martha Graham

Martha Graham founded her company and school in 1926. The company’s history offers a starting point for studying her work.

Martha Graham Dance Company

Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey founded his dance company in 1958. His official biography connects choreography with education and later initiatives.

AILEY

Pina Bausch

Pina Bausch began her Wuppertal appointment in the 1973/74 season. Her foundation’s biography traces her artistic path.

Pina Bausch Foundation

Read a tradition

A comparison note with two sources, one difference and one open question.

Read a tradition Open the UNESCO tango record. Note the places and forms of expression named in it. Compare it with the capoeira record. List a shared feature and a difference without ranking the practices. Write one question that the short records do not answer. Identify whose perspective you would seek next.

Read a historical document

A source passport and a short note on what remains unknown.

Read a historical document Open the Library of Congress collection and choose one manual. Record its title, author and date as given by the catalogue. Read a short passage. Separate the instruction from your interpretation; note unfamiliar terms. Explain what this document can tell you and what would require another source or a practitioner.

Read an artistic life

A sourced timeline entry and three interview questions.

Read an artistic life Open one official biography below. Find a dated event and the organisation or place connected with it. Compare your note with the biography: did you add a motive or judgement that the source did not state? Prepare three open interview questions about learning, collaboration and transmission.