Mlle. Cha-U-Kao and her milieu

Today saw the below picture at an exhibit called "The Dancer" which featured Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Forain. Featuring three artists at a time rather than two was a little much, I think. The exhibit did well to discuss the historical context and fin-de-siecle Paris, however, even with an extensive historical timeline and some Lumiere films playing in some sections, for example the "Fire Dance" film. There were also portaits of opera scenes, even one scene from Aida. Otherwise, ballerinas everywhere, and two whole rooms full of pictures of ballerinas being hit on by the rich gentlemen who purchased passes of some sort to go backstage and consort with them, which the artists critiqued with great attention to power dynamics and the pressures for ballerinas to Plié (sp to whatever those men wanted, the price sometimes being their jobs if they refused. Anyhow... the below picture features Mlle. Cha-U-Kao, who also performed sometimes as a clown, but here below, dancing with another woman at the Moulin Rouge. Many portaits also featured the difficult lives of ballerinas behind the scenes, themes of spectatorship (views from the front boxes), and the beauty of the dancing, flower-like dancers with tutus and limbs aligned, in tension, and on the verges of movement. Then went to see a few other permanent exhibits. A busy & fun day with some company. Perhaps even more fun than maybe one or two other things I could think of to be doing, and fed my intellect.