You cannot discuss dance in art without talking about Degas. Still, I stayed away from using classics, such as The Dance Class or Dancers in Pink. Two Ballet Dancers caught my eye because it was different from his other depictions of dancers. Here, the dancers are resting, even stretching, but not dancing. Why would Degas paint dancers who were not dancing? I think that Degas found the same beauty in the movements of the girls’ stretching as when they were dancing. In Two Ballet Dancers, the wood paneled floor sets the stage and their mint-colored tutus pop off of the bright yellow wall.

The girls sit on the bench, reaching, leaning, and stretching. They are not in sync, or they are not “dancing the same routine.” Each girl stretching is the way that is most comfortable and helpful to her body.

For the girl on the right, you can feel her leaning to her left, reaching for her toes to stretch her calf and hamstring. On the left, the girl is in a relaxed first position as she reaches down to hold her calves. I also think that Degas’ depiction of the girls stretching reveals the fatigue and intensity of dancing. The girls practice for hours to perfect their skills, and they are allowed to be tired. Degas’ other works show the beauty of ballet, but this one shows the beauty of hard work. Degas painted ballet dancers to perfect his craft, and the ballet dancers practiced to perfect theirs’.

This painting has bright colors like Rubens uses in Dance of Italian Villagers. I think Two Ballet Dancers also has a lighter tone like in Rubens’ work, as opposed to the drama in El Jaleo. Like Sargent though, Degas focuses on female dancers. I like the casualness of Degas’ Two Ballet Dancers, because it shows how simple tasks like stretching are just as much of a dance as acting dancing is. I also like this work, because I think it is an under appreciated and unique Degas painting.