〈The Dance Class 〉,〈The Rehearsal Onstage〉,〈Waiting〉
Edgar Degas
Imagine following the young girl from The Railway, boarding the train to attend a dance class.
We now arrive at Degas’s celebrated series of ballet-themed works.
Degas created an impressive oeuvre of 1,500 works centered on the theme of ballet throughout his lifetime. When asked why he was so captivated by this subject, he offered two compelling reasons: 1. “Because ballet is the only surviving synthesis of ancient Greek bodily movements”. 2. “I simply wanted to use dancers to depict the beauty of fabric and the human form in motion”.
These responses reveal that Degas’s fascination lay not so much with the art of dance itself but with the dynamic movements and elegance of the human body.This perspective likely stemmed from his academic background, during which he meticulously studied and copied hundreds of works from ancient Greek art and the Renaissance, developing a profound mastery of anatomical drawing. By the late 19th century, however, traditional historical painting was in decline across Europe. Degas sought a subject that could bridge the timeless elegance of classical Greek ideals with contemporary artistic trends. Ballet presented the perfect solution, as 19th-century European dance scholars commonly believed that ballet had its origins in ancient Greece. This made ballet a fitting canvas for Degas to apply his classical training while aligning with the modern artistic currents of his time.
Degas’s The Dance Class (1873) captures a scene at the conclusion of a ballet lesson. At the center, the master leans on a cane, having just finished instructing the students. Around him, the dancers begin to relax in various ways—one rests with a fan in hand, another stands with her hands on her hips, while a nearby student scratches her back, mouth open as if stifling a yawn. Some adjust their hair or earrings, each figure embodying the unguarded, exhausted demeanor of a lesson’s end. The lively and relatable expressions Degas depicts evoke a sense of familiarity. Perhaps, as you view this scene, it brings back memories of your own school days, unwinding after class with that same mixture of relief and weariness.
In another piece from Degas’s ballet series, Ballet Rehearsal on Stage (1874),
the painting portrays what appears to be a teacher giving final instructions to a group of dancers who have been rehearsing for some time and now look visibly fatigued.
While Degas created numerous works centered on ballet, he rarely depicted the glamorous moments on stage. Instead, he focused on the behind-the-scenes aspects, such as intensive lessons, rehearsals, and backstage preparations. His meticulous and lifelike portrayals might make one wonder: Did Degas have a ballerina girlfriend? Or perhaps some sort of universal pass that granted him unrestricted access to dance studios and backstage areas for close observation? The answer is neither.
Degas’s detailed renderings of dancers stemmed from his classical training, particularly his studies of Greek anatomical art. His ability to convey the interplay of light and shadow in stage settings was likely influenced by two key artistic movements of his time: the impact of Japanese ukiyo-e prints on European art and the emerging influence of photography in the latter half of the 19th century. Interestingly, Degas’s regular access to dance spaces only began much later in his career. According to modern art historians, while he had been creating his ballet series since the early 1870s, it wasn’t until more than a decade later in 1883 that he gained a membership to the Paris Opéra, thanks to the assistance of a patron. This membership allowed him free entry to observe the inner workings of the ballet world, including rehearsals and pre-performance preparations.
Thus, the vibrant Ballet Rehearsal on Stage was completed based on the artist’s imagined interpretation of real scenarios.
Continuing from this lively group rehearsal, we now turn to the seventh work in Degas’s ballet series, “Waiting”, which differs markedly in focus. Unlike the ensemble pieces that depict the collective energy of rehearsals, this painting centers on a single dancer. Beside her, a woman sits holding an umbrella, her relationship to the dancer seems ambiguous. Is she a teacher? A mother? We can only speculate.
Degas used bright, saturated colors to depict the raw reality behind the stage in Waiting. The figures’ expressions are not visible. Instead, the focal point is the dancer, head lowered as she rubs her foot. Whether she is relaxing her ankle or massaging a sore spot is unclear, but the scene vividly conveys the physical challenges and dedication required of a ballerina.
While The Dance Class was executed in oil, both Ballet “Rehearsal on Stage” and “Waiting” were created using pastel wax crayons. Beginning in the 1880s, as Degas’s eyesight began to deteriorate, he shifted toward sculpture and pastel wax crayons as his preferred mediums. His method involved mixing powdered pigments with white clay and rubber solutions, which were left to solidify into crayons. Degas even exposed the crayons to sunlight, deliberately fading the colors to achieve brighter, subtler tones. This meticulous technique allowed Degas to layer the medium repeatedly, creating rich textures and vibrant colors that rivaled the depth and luminosity of oil paint.
