MArie Van Goethem

"Dance is not a fairy tale, it's a painful profession." - Camille Laurens

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Made famous by bohemian artist, Edgar Degas, The Little dancer aged fourteen provides us with an incredible look into the life of a petite rat at the paris opera ballet school during this period.

In her book, Camille Laurens details the life of marie van goethem, a fourteen year old Belgian ballerina who danced for the Paris opera ballet alongside her younger sister, Charlotte. This book is an incredible view into the life of the petite rat, detailing everything from their expected pay, life expectancy, and schooling among other things. Though MArie was under appreciated in her life time, her memory lives on in Edgar Degas' most famous artwork.