Dance Class

Non-fiction. A mini-story inspired by the paintings of Edgar Degas. A brief biography of the artist is included.

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Transcript

Every Saturday, Anna would go to dance class.
She would stretch and squat and bend.
She would run. She would leap. She would spin.

She would dance on her tippie toes.
She would wear ballet slippers.
Sometimes, she would wear a tutu.
Anna thought dance class was fun.

Anna wanted to be a ballerina when she grew up.

About the Artist

Edgar Degas was born in Paris, France, on July 19, 1834, as the son of a wealthy banker. His family expected him to go to law school, but instead he enrolled in the School of Fine Arts in Paris and became an artist. At first, Degas painted portraits of his family and friends. A few years later, he started painting the female ballet dancer, which became his favorite theme. He traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1872, where he painted The Cotton Exchange at New Orleans, his only picture to be acquired by an art museum in his lifetime. Later in life, Degas used pastels to create his pictures. He died in 1917 at the age of 83.