Between 1873 and 1874, Degas made several studies of dancers adjusting their shoes, shown in different poses and from different angles. These drawings served as preparatory studies for his ballet scenes of the same period. Squared for transfer, the figure in this study was used in the 1874 pastel Dancers Resting (private collection); her tenuously held pose characterizes Degas's approach to his models. The same dancer, shown in three-quarter view, also appears in The Rehearsal of the Ballet Onstage in the Museum's collection.