Honoring the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the occasion of the Degas and the Dance exhibition.

WHEREAS,

French artist Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was known as “the painter of dancers”; and

WHEREAS,

Degas had an intimate knowledge of the dance and familiarity with ballet technique because of his regular attendance at ballet performances, his unique access to rehearsal rooms and backstage areas, as well as his acquaintances with both prima ballerinas and students; and

WHEREAS,

From February 12 through May 11, 2003, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is hosting

Degas and the Dance

, a comprehensive exhibition of paintings, works on paper and sculptures focussing, for the first time, solely on Degas’ exploration of the art of the dance; and

WHEREAS,

The City of Philadelphia has a rich tradition and long history of dance, with an impressive array of dance companies and schools – many known throughout the world; and

WHEREAS,

the Philadelphia Museum of Art developed a partnership with the Philadelphia Dance Alliance to help the Museum successfully involve the area’s dancers in a collaboration to promote dance to all of the citizens of Philadelphia through the

Degas

exhibition; and

WHEREAS,

The

Degas

Dance Collaboration Steering Committee was established, with 60 local dance companies and schools, representing a wide range of the City’s dance community, including traditional/ethnic/folk, ballroom/Latin/swing, jazz/tap/hip-hop, modern and ballet; and

WHEREAS,

The poster with all of the participant collaborating organizations lists more than 100 performances taking place in every part of Philadelphia this spring during the

Degas

exhibition and is being broadly distributed throughout the region; and

WHEREAS,

We should all be proud that Philadelphia is the place to be this spring to take dance, to see dance and to see the

Degas and the Dance

exhibition; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,

That we hereby honor the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the occasion of the

Degas and the Dance

exhibition.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Anne d’Harnoncourt, Director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as an expression of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

End