The Dance Class, c.1873/76 Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

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The Dancing Class
In this delightful painting, Degas captures a moment in the arduous training routine of the young ballerinas at the Paris Opera. The viewer's impression is of an inadvertent glance into the rehearsal room as most of the corps de ballet take a break, while the ballet-master Jules Perrot concentrates on the little dancer framed in the doorway. To achieve this sense of immediacy, Degas spent countless hours behind stage at the old Opera in the Rue le Peletier, studying the ballerinas at work, and building up a vast stockpile of drawings, which he later put together in his final compositions.
Every detail is lovingly observed - from the tired dancer stretching in the far corner, to the watering can used to dampen down the dusty floorboards. But the picture as it stands today is very different from Degas' original composition. X-rays have shown that Jules Perrot originally stood facing the back wall, while two of the foreground figures looked towards the spectator. One of these now has her back to us, while the other has been almost hidden by the addition of the girl sitting on the piano, scratching her back.

Incidental details
Degas' details often add a touch of informal humour: between two foreground figures, we catch a glimpse of a dancer twiddling her earring, while a little dog peeps out from behind a ballerina's leg.

The Paris Opera
The setting ofThe Dancing Class is the Opera in the Rue le Peletier. Degas was a frequent visitor there from 1871 until a disastrous fire destroyed the building the following year. When the huge new Opera was opened in 1875, that in turn became the focus of his attention.

A new perspective
When Degas added the girl on the piano, he strengthened the illusion of depth in the painting. The figures now form a funnel-like triangle that runs across the picture, enclosed by the dramatic perspective lines created by the floorboards and cornice. Accents of red run through the group, from the flower in the foreground dancer's hair, to the hat of one of the lovers by the far wall.
Perrot is leaning on the long stick he used for pointing and tapping rhythm for his pupils.