Description
Saturday morning at the dance school on Rue Saint-Martial. Twelve little girls in pink tights line up at the barre while the piano plays a waltz, and Madame Delacroix taps the time with her cane. Plié, relevé, and then, at last, the best part: the music swells and they are released into the middle of the room to twirl and leap and spin until the whole floor seems to sway with them.
This large box holds that whirl of movement, its dancing figures painted in mid-step as if the music might start again at any moment. It is a wonderful gift for a young ballerina after her first recital, a dance teacher celebrating many years in the studio, or a grown-up who still dreams of the stage. Because it is larger than most, it has real presence on a dresser or a piano lid.
About this piece
- A large box decorated with dancing girls
- Generous size, roomier than a typical trinket box
- Its broad lid is hinged and fastens with a metal clasp
- Shaped in Limoges, France, and decorated by hand
- Pre-owned, previously kept in a private collection
Present it after the curtain falls, with a single rose, and watch a young dancer’s face light up. Years later, when the pointe shoes are long put away to a drawer, the box will still be dancing on her shelf.
