Edgar Degas, The Rehearsal, 1878

"Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you’ll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she’s in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand."

- Elton John, “Tiny Dancer”

The tiny dancer in Degas’ hand was the paintbrush that wisped across the canvas, capturing the softness of the ballet with his color pallet and strength of their performance with his brushstrokes. Ballerinas took center stage as Degas became infatuated by their beauty and elegance. Degas not only enjoyed painting them, but also liked the company of the dancers, who would share gossip with him as they posed. But, Degas kept his boundaries, unlike his brother Achille, who had an affair with a ballerina. He viewed them as beautiful and inspirational characters that could be fashioned to fit the canvas.

Ballet and opera were fashionable parts of Parisian culture, and Degas more that likely was part of the audience before he began painting the ballerinas. His first works featured the audience and orchestra as much as the dancers on stage. Degas quickly grew out of that habit and developed a passion for portraying the entertainers not only in recitals, but also in life behind the scenes. The Rehearsal demonstrates Degas’ determination and ability to weasel his way backstage and experience a dancer’s life from a new point of view. Elton John’s Tiny Dancer also explores new perspectives. As the band traveled to the United States, Bernie Taupin, lyricist of the song, was inspired by the warmth and beauty of the women. California in the fall of 1970 was full of sunshine and free spirits. Taupin’s ballerinas were those lounging on the beaches and dancing in the sand, while Degas portrayed his ballerinas with the tiny dancer in his hand.