Little Dancer Aged Fourteen after 1881

This is Edgar Degas' "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen," a sculpture begun in 1880 and likely not cast in bronze until after his death in 1917. Degas was captivated by the ballet, by the way the labor of the body could produce such incredible art. But let's think for a moment about that labor. Often the dancers that Degas memorialized were working class girls who saw the ballet as one of the only ways to improve their social standing. The original sculpture was displayed in a glass case, like an specimen in a museum of natural history. Its presentation, coupled with the sculpture's unconventional realism, caused a stir. Critics saw the dancer as ugly, even animalistic, due to her features and posture. Degas seems to challenge conventional representations of beauty. He also seems deeply interested in the socioeconomic realities of the young women who sought to embody it. It makes me wonder, what is gained and what is lost when laboring for one's dreams?