From Wikipedia

The Private Life Of A Masterpiece

La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans

"Little Dancer of Fourteen Years"
c. 1881, is a sculpture by Edgar Degas of a young dance student named Marie van Goethem. The sculpture was originally made in wax before it was cast in 1922 in bronze.

"Little Dancer of Fourteen Years" is made from wax, an unusual choice of material for a sculpture of this time, dressed in a cotton skirt with a hair ribbon, sitting on a wooden base.

The relationship between Marie van Goethem and Edgar Degas is one of debate. It was usual in 1880 for the 'Petits Rats' of the Opera of Paris to seek protectors from among the wealthy visitors at the back door of the opera.