Untitled (three little girls dancing in dance class) c. 1950

Curator: This small, square photograph, simply titled Untitled (three little girls dancing in dance class), is by Jack Gould, and resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The high contrast and tight crop lend it an almost dreamlike quality, even a slightly unsettling one, despite the innocence of the subject. It feels very immediate. Curator: It feels that way because dance is such an ancient, primordial form of expression. The image captures childhood and nascent self-expression, but also hints at cultural expectations placed upon women. Editor: Perhaps, but the negative space and stark lines, and the way the girls almost blend into the background, draws attention to the formal elements over narrative content, wouldn’t you agree? Curator: I think the eye contact and repetition of gesture builds a network of symbolic meaning, a cultural touchstone. Editor: A network built upon line, shape, and form—that’s the core of its power for me. Curator: And for me, it’s a reminder of the weight of cultural heritage we carry, even in our smallest moments.