Russian dancer

A full, dynamic sculpture depicting a young woman in a dancing pose. Her arms are raised, straightened, slightly bent back. The girl stands on one leg, on her toes, the other leg is bent at the knee, raised forward. The figure has shoulder-length wavy hair, a headband on her forehead, a dress with thick straps, clinging to the body, decorated at the top with a heart-shaped border. The expression is focused, the eyes are directed downwards. The pose captured by the artist seems to be a frozen frame from a dance performance, it is dynamic and at the same time full of lightness.
Paul Philippe (1870–1930) although his name and surname indicate French nationality, it is not certain whether the artist was born in France. He probably studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin. He later moved to Paris. He mainly created chamber sculpture in the Art Nouveau style, and later Art Deco. The artist, while creating the sculpture Russian Dancer, was probably inspired by the popular performances of the Russian ballet by Diaghilev at that time. Sergei Diaghilev was the impresario and creator of the legendary Russian Ballet, a company founded in 1907 and active until his death in 1929. The set and costumes were designed by, among others, Pablo Picasso and Jean Miró. It was Diaghilev who discovered Igor Stvinsky, who was one of several famous ballet composers.