Degas at the Opéra, The Dance Class, c. 1873

JULIE KENT: You can almost hear the footsteps coming down. There’s some energy and anticipation of the dancers, that their class is coming, and that they’d better hurry. KAYWIN FELDMAN: Behind the staircase on the left, we can see a floor-to-ceiling window. In Degas’s various depictions of dance classes—some of which you can see nearby—these arched windows remain a constant. There is some uncertainty as to when or whether Degas ever stepped foot inside the rehearsal rooms of the Paris Opéra. His season ticket subscription started in 1885 and would have provided access to the backstage and other spaces, but not necessarily the one where the dancers rehearsed. But he obviously knew about its large windows, perhaps from seeing them from the street. KIMBERLY JONES: By including that very distinctive, very well-known element, Degas heightens the sense of realism so that contemporaries, who had no more access than he did to the rehearsal rooms would have felt at ease, and would have been assured that he was painting what he knew, and that it was completely 100 percent accurate. KAYWIN FELDMAN: For Julie Kent, the architectural details of Degas’s rehearsal rooms—the columns, staircases, windows—matter less than the overall environment the artist created. She thinks this scene beautifully evokes the staging area where ballerinas would put on their final touches before heading into class. JULIE KENT: The body language, the constant sort of fidgeting and fussing with making sure that your costume is fitting you correctly, is fitting you to show your advantage, show your shoulders or show your waistline or that it’s not riding up too much so it’s uncomfortable to move your legs, and adjusting your shoes and just all the action and intensity, is right there.