What Pina Bausch remind us
In my previous post, I talked about the value of following curiosity—diving down rabbit holes to explore unexpected questions and ideas. One of those rabbit holes led me to the work of Pina Bausch, the legendary German choreographer.
⚡️This is what I was reminded of: creativity isn’t improvisation—it’s about deliberate exploration within clear boundaries.
💡 Artistic methods are often misunderstood, with some mistaking them for pure, aimless improvisation. But as Pina explained, there was nothing chaotic about her process. Everything was tirelessly prepared, highly precise, and driven by her practice of asking questions to her dancers, exploring how they translated those questions into movement.
🕵🏻♀️ What fascinated me most as I explored her methods was how much her research resembled qualitative research. Bausch’s questions weren’t arbitrary—they were grounded in careful observation of everyday life and field trips. Her process touched on physical experiences, emotions, attitudes, and cultural-anthropological topics, as well as geographical and geopolitical issues.
💬 Bausch herself described her method this way:
“It's a very open working method, but also very precise. Because I always know exactly what I’m looking for, but I know it in my heart and not in my mind.”
Her approach teaches us powerful lessons about exploration and creativity:
Exploration is not improvisation. It isn’t aimless or chaotic—it’s deliberate, guided by careful observations and thoughtful questions.
Good questions set things in motion. Her questions, grounded in real-life observations, created structure and inspired deeply personal, meaningful responses from her dancers.
Constraints enable creativity. While her process was open, it operated within clear boundaries, allowing for focus while leaving room for discovery.
Without good questions, research risks becoming shallow or unfocused. Design requieres agency and direction. Exploration should be structured curiosity guided by purpose and focus.
✨ So, here’s a call to action: be deliberate, purposeful, and precise—and remember: great things happen when curiosity is paired with structure and intention.