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Degas’s DancersSMART KIDS

Look closely.

How many dancers do you see?

Are they moving or standing still? What makes you think so?

Circle the adjectives below that you would use to describe these dancers:

energized hardworking sleepy

strong tired happy

fancy plain young old

What other words would you use to describe them?

Edgar Degas enjoyed painting, drawing, and sculpting ballerinas, capturing their energy and movement. He often showed them backstage or in rehearsal. Degas experimented with unusual viewpoints and often cut figures off at the edge of the canvas, creating the impression that he had captured a snapshot of people in motion.

Edgar Degas, Dancers, ca. 1899. Pastel with charcoal on tracing paper. Bequest of Henry K. Dick, Class of 1909 (x1954-13)

SMART KIDS

Try this:

Can you stand like the dancer closest to us?

What shapes do her arms make?

Imagine that you are backstage at the ballet.

What do you see?

What sounds do you hear?

What do the dancers say to each other?