Grade 11/12 Art - Day 42 "Little Dancer Age Fourteen" Session 1

"Little Dancer Age Fourteen" by Edgar Degas

Questions for Viewing

Take a moment to look closely at this sculpture. What do you notice?

Examine the figure's pose and facial expression; re-create it with your body. Hold the pose for 30 seconds and note how it makes you feel. What might this figure be thinking or feeling? What makes you say that?

Watch this brief video of a ballet in action. 

What adjectives might you use to describe how the ballerina moves? How do the pose and body of the ballerina sculpture compare with those of the dancer in the video?

To create this work, Degas instructed a fourteen-year-old ballet student at the Paris Opéra to hold a specific pose and facial expression for a long time—perhaps even for hours.  Imagine you were asked to hold this pose for hours; what might you find most challenging?

What do you think the artist hoped to convey about this person and/or the ballet? What do you see that supports your idea?

*Source: http://www.metmuseum.org/learn/for-educators/lesson-plans-and-pre-visit-guides/degas-and-understanding-art