Dance Training Possibly 1910 - 1920

Curator: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner likely created this oil on canvas painting, "Dance Training," sometime between 1910 and 1920. You can find it here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: The energy is contained, somehow, even with all those colours in the rug fighting for space. The expressions feel watchful. Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the artist's focus on the materials and social aspects here. The thick oil paint and visible brushstrokes emphasize the physicality of the work. There's a conscious decision to expose the making, disrupting that conventional idea of the artist as a purely inspired being. Editor: Agreed. It's almost like a snapshot from behind the scenes – the real work of art being *made*, not just appearing fully formed. And that raw quality…it’s like peeking into an unguarded moment. The poses suggest not just training, but the specific power dynamic between two individuals. Curator: Exactly. And look at the way Kirchner flattens the space. It pushes the figures forward. It highlights the labor involved. Dance is work. Art is work. How laboring bodies produce art, that's what this piece gets at for me. Editor: But also something about vulnerability. The partially nude dancer looks hesitant, almost wary. And the other woman, her gaze feels critical and oddly comforting. The color palette feels muted except for those moments of brilliant reds… it suggests heat, pressure. Curator: I see what you mean. And consider the Expressionist style. It shows how artists broke from the academic traditions, pushing boundaries and exploring new ways to represent the human experience. It shows how Kirchner challenged notions of good and bad taste. It challenged the status quo. Editor: Maybe it's also about the dance between mentor and mentee, a very vulnerable relationship, right? They have very different characters and roles in the piece and the real world. Curator: Yes! Both are trapped in their world, though; maybe art *is* trapping them in some way. Editor: Definitely. Curator: The means and conditions by which dance and art is created becomes highly problematized as both women have a sort of awkward relationship. It asks whether the conditions themselves cause rifts in the artwork’s social circumstances. Editor: Seeing that interplay between those individuals, makes me really appreciate this work even more. There are very raw feelings to interpret here!