Dancer ready to dance, right foot forward

myminifactory

This sculpture shows a mysterious figure dancing in a captivating pose. Degas began sculpting in the late 1860s, focusing mainly on ballet dancers. To create his sculptures, Degas used a mixture of wax and clay that could be easily shaped, incorporating everyday objects like matchsticks, wire, and wine corks to add strength. A piece of wire used as a support can be seen protruding from the right hand. Degas never had any of his sculptures cast in bronze. The sculpture is marked with a number on its base, along with the foundry mark "57/K Cire Perdue A.A. Hébrard" and Degas's signature stamped below.