\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 The medium and support used, pastel on paper, suggest that this work was an exercise, a study from life of DegasÆs beloved w
orld of the theater and dance. Instead of depicting the official spectacle of the performance itself, Degas chooses to represent a moment of informality, thus bestowing a great sense of spontaneity on the subject.