The Artist's Eyes by Jenn Lee

Ballerina’s have been dancing across our history since the fifteenth century.  Ballet originated in France and was brought into English in the seventeenth century, but it originally traces back even further to Latin ballare, meaning “to dance”.

The ballerina has transformed as well over the years. Originating as an entertainer, dancing for weddings and special events to metamorphosing into the “pointe work” focal it became in the nineteenth century and still today. Pointe work is the dance technique using the infamous ballet boxed toe shoe that you see in ballet.

The ballerina is an icon in her passion for dance, fierce emotion, strength and undying spirit, unbreakable will and determination and unstoppable, ongoing obsession to gain perfection. The ballerina stands with her head held high with perfect posture, seeming to float across the dance floor with arms and legs moving with the grace of a butterfly. Every movement or motion in perfect synchronization with the music, twirling and jumping with strength hidden behind the graceful choreography of arms and legs in even the slightest of movements. The ballerina is an artist of dance…in this artist’s eyes.

Everything the ballerina stands for and puts into action inspires me, so I decided to create a sculpture in dedication to the art…and the artist.