Two girls dance on stage. They wear leotards; one girl bows to the other.

Make a Puppet Theatre

Edgar Degas (1834–1917) was a French artist who lived in Paris in the second half of the 1800s. He is famous for his drawings, paintings and sculptures of ballet dancers. He was also interested in other subjects that involved movement, such as horse racing. He studied at a traditional art school in Paris, where he spent many hours drawing people from life and from artworks he admired.In the 1870s Degas became friends with the Impressionist group of artists who were rebelling against older ways of painting. They used rough, visible brush marks to capture their experiences of Paris and landscapes beyond the city. While they were excited about capturing the effects of light and nature out-of-doors, Degas was most happy at the Paris Opéra House, where he had special access to draw the ballet dancers rehearsing and performing. The ballerinas were usually young girls from poor families who worked hard to earn a living. Degas made sketches from life and then worked these up into paintings back in his studio. He sometimes paid dancers to model in his studio and made small wax sculptures of them to help him better understand difficult poses.

Materials

  • Cereal box
  • Glue stick
  • Pencil, colouring pencils/pens
  • 2 lolly pop sticks/drink stirrers or something similar, ruler, scissors and coloured tissue paper (optional)
Two girls dance on stage. They wear leotards; one girl bows to the other.
Edgar Germain Hilaire Degas, Two Dancers on a Stage, 1874, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Create a 3D Theatre Inspired by Degas (PDF)
cereal box with diagram on showing where to cut to create a theatre

Activity

Step 1:

Draw a rectangle on the front of the cereal box so that it looks like a picture frame.ÌýTheÌýbase of the rectangleÌýshould beÌý3.5 cm from the edge of the box.ÌýYou do not need to measure the rest of the frame.ÌýThis rectangle is going to fold back to make your stage.Ìý

This next bit takes some concentration.ÌýMeasure the depth of your cereal box with a ruler. Now, measure up from ³Ù³ó±ðÌýbaseÌýof your rectangle byÌýexactlyÌýthe same amount ofÌýcmsÌýand draw a horizontal lineÌý(A).ÌýMeasure 3.5 cm above this and draw another horizontal line (B).Ìý

Carefully cutÌý³Ù³ó±ðÌýleft,ÌýtopÌýandÌýright edgesÌýof the main, big rectangle (shown as dashed lines in the image)Ìý– leaving the rectangle attached at the bottom.ÌýIt doesn’t matterÌýifÌýthe edges areÌýa bitÌýjagged.Ìý

cut out cereal box that looks like a frame

Step 2:

FoldÌýtheÌýhorizontal lines backwardsÌý(show as dotted lines in previous image)Ìýand tuck the sections back on themselves so that youÌýhave created a platform/stage. Trim to fit. Next, fold the cereal box tabsÌýon the sidesÌýinwards and stick down. We’ve covered theseÌýwithÌýsome paper for neatness.Ìý

Tip:Ìýput glue onÌýbothÌýtheÌýcereal box cardÌýand on the paperÌýto avoid the parts bending as they dry.

cereal box with drawn curtains and characters set out on a table

Step 3:

Design your scenery – this is the backdrop that will help you tell a story. Degas’ÌýballerinasÌýare performing in the ‘Ballet des Roses’, a love story between flowers and butterflies, set in a woodland. Where will your story take place? It could be under the sea, in outer space, on a desert Island, a medieval castle, or anywhere you like!ÌýÌý

cereal box theatre made from instructions

Step 4:

Make your theatre spectacular! Degas is closely associated with the Palais Garnier in Paris, one of the most luxurious theatres in the world. Add decorations andÌýcolour to the front section toÌýmake an appropriate frame for your performance. You could use some tissue paper for the curtains.Ìý

The floor would have been wooden boards, but perhaps you could add some circles or patches of colour to show the effects of stage lighting that Degas loved.Ìý

 

Step 5:

Decide on your story and make your performers. Mind-map some ideas for how your performance will unfold (if you have time you could plan this out as a story board). Some famous ballets are Cinderella, Firebird, Swan Lake and the Nutcracker.Ìý

Draw two dancers on off-cuts of card. Make their costumes bold and eye-catching. They will need to be about 6-7cm high (check with a ruler). Cut out your dancers and glue or tape them to the wooden sticks. Degas always drew from life so you could ask a family member to pose for you!Ìý

Now it’s time for your performance!ÌýÌý

If you enjoyed making this, you could design extra pieces of scenery and dancers, and even create a video or animation of the performance.ÌýÌýÌý

We’d love to see your Degas inspired Theatres. Please share your artworks with us (and let us know your name and age)

 

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Citations