Degas and Tschaikovsky

A *perfect* art lesson combined with art and music.During the Degas crafts,and throughout this month of Homeschooling Tchaikovsky's music will play in the background of our home.


Edgar Degas
Born: July 19, 1834
Died: September 27, 1917


What we know about Edgar Degas?
- We know he was a man.
- We know he was born in Paris (show your child where France is on a globe/map)
- He was best known for his paintings and drawings
- He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism
- He was the oldest of five children
- He was the son of a wealthy banker
- His mother died when he was 13-years-old
- Edgar is identified with the subject of dance, and over half of his works depict dancers
- Degas suffered loss of vision and in his last year of life he was nearly blind

Make Your Own Degas Ballerinas:
love tutus;create a Degas craft that is three dimensional that ties in tutus.
Paint Popsicle sticks, which would represent the body of the ballerina.Once the sticks have dried,cut out circles for the heads,then glue the circles on top of the sticks.Next,take tissue paper, cut it appropriately and glue it around the middle part of the stick, to represent the ballerina's tutu.Cut another popsicle stick into a triangle,have the triangle point face down towards the tutu,glue.Or you can use pipe cleaners as the arms.Add glitter or ribbons.Looks like a fun craft!



Little Dancer, Age Fourteen

Little Dancer, Age Fourteen

Degas's Little Dancer, Age Fourteen is a sculpture of Marie van Goethem, a student who lived near Degas and posed for him in his studio. He had made the figure in wax, which he tinted in flesh-like tones and dressed in a miniature ballet costume, tiny slippers, and a wig tied low with a silk ribbon. After Degas died, copies of this wax figure were cast in plaster and bronze, and Little Dancer Aged Fourteen became world famous.

Imitate the Little Dancer pose:
Have your child try to imitate Marie’s pose. The slight sway in the lower back, arms clasped behind her, the upraised chin, and legs turned out indicate the casual fourth position, a stance that dancers assume when they are at ease. Take a picture of your child in this position.

Make a model, just as Degas did.
You can use any type of clay or dough you wish. If you’d like to make your own dough at home, here’s a simple recipe:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Born: May 7, 1840
Died: November 6, 1893

What do we know about Tchaikovsky?
-We know he was a man.
- We know he was born in Russia (show your child where Russia is on a globe/map)
- He was a composer
- He wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the classical repertoire, including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker
- His music is classified in the romantic era
- Nadezhda von Meck was a wealthy widow that supported Tchaikovsky financially for 13 years, but she stipulated that they were never to meet.
- Tchaikovsky dedicated Symphony No. 4 in F minor to Nadezhda
- He suffered from depression


Video - Have your child watch the Nutcracker Suite in the Walt Disney movie "Fantasia"




MUSIC - Have your child sit in a quiet room, put on some Tchaikovsky music. When the music is over, ask the child how she/he liked it, how it made them feel. Being that Sydney is only 4-years-old, I am not expecting a huge review, other than "I liked it."