dance6

Final Essay 1, Mikhail Baryshnikov
Please use the link below and any additional resources to write you biography. Follow the instructions in the Dance History Resources Module: ‘How to write a Biography’ to ensure that you are using the proper format.
http://www.danceheritage.org/baryshnikov.html

Final Essay 2, Alvin Ailey
Please use the links below and any additional resources to write you biography. Follow the instructions in the Dance History Resources Module: ‘How to write a Biography’ to ensure that you are using the proper format.
http://www.danceheritage.org/ailey.html

How to write a Biography
What is a Biography?

A biography is simply the story of a life. Biographies can be just a few sentences long, or they can fill an entire book—or two.
Very short biographies tell the basic facts of someone’s life and importance.
Longer biographies include that basic information of course, with a lot more detail, but they also tell a good story.

Biographies analyze and interpret the events in a person’s life. They try to find connections, explain the meaning of unexpected actions or mysteries, and make arguments about the significance of the person’s accomplishments or life activities. Biographies are usually about famous, or infamous people, but a biograpy of an ordinary person can tell us a lot about a particular time and place. They are often about historical figures, but they can also be about people still living.
Many biographies are written in chronological order. Some group time periods around a major theme (such as “early adversity” or “ambition and achievement”). Still others focus on specific topics or accomplishments.
Biographers use primary and secondary sources:
Primary sources are things like letters, diaries, or newspaper accounts.
Secondary sources include other biographies, reference books, or histories that provide information about the subject of the biography.
To write a biography you should:
Select a person you are interested in
Find out the basic facts of the person’s life. Start with the encyclopedia and almanac.
Think about what else you would like to know about the person, and what parts of the life you want to write most about. Some questions you might want to think about include:
1. What makes this person special or interesting?
2. What kind of effect did he or she have on the world? other people?
3. What are the adjectives you would most use to describe the person?
4. What examples from their life illustrate those qualities?
5. What events shaped or changed this person’s life?
6. Did he or she overcome obstacles? Take risks? Get lucky?
7. Would the world be better or worse if this person hadn’t lived? How and why?
Do additional research at your library or on the Internet to find information that helps you answer these questions and tell an interesting story.
Write a 500 – 600 word biography. Please include:

an introduction
three main body paragraphs
a conclusion

Introduction
The introduction should start with a general discussion of your subject and lead to a very specific statement of your main point, or thesis. Sometimes an essay begins with a “grabber,” such as a challenging claim, or surprising story to catch a reader’s attention. The thesis should tell in one (or at most two) sentence(s), what your overall point or argument is, and briefly, what your main body paragraphs will be about.

Main Body Paragraphs (3)
Each main body paragraph will focus on a single idea, reason, or example that supports your thesis. Each paragraph will have a clear topic sentence (a mini thesis that states the main idea of the paragraph) and as much discussion or explanation as is necessary to explain the point. You should try to use details and specific examples to make your ideas clear and convincing.

Conclusion
Your conclusion begins with a restatement of your main point; but be sure to paraphrase, not just repeat your thesis sentence. Then you want to add some sentences that emphasize the importance of the topic and the significance of your view. Think about what idea or feeling you want to leave your reader with. The conclusion is the reverse of the introduction in that it starts out very specific and becomes a bit more general as you finish.

Transitions
Transitions connect your paragraphs to one another, especially the main body ones. It’s not effective to simply jump from one idea to the next; you need to use the end of one paragraph and/or the beginning of the next to show the relationship between the two ideas.
Between each paragraph and the one that follows, you need a transition. It can be built in to the topic sentence of the next paragraph, or it can be the concluding sentence of the first. It can even be a little of both. To express the relationship between the two paragraphs, think about words and phrases that compare and contrast.

You’ll also want some kind of transition from the last paragraph to your conclusion. One way is to sum up your third body paragraph with some reminders of your other paragraphs. You don’t need to restate the topics fully (that comes in the conclusion) but you can refer to a detail, or example, or character as a way of pulling your ideas together and signaling that you are getting ready to conclude.