In “Study for Red Dress”, the lithe form of the young ballerina is delicate, but alive with youthful energy and a ballerina’s grace. She seems to be the flame-bright spirit of all that is free and pure, innocent and happy. As a prelude and preparation for the important work, “Red Dress”, Richard MacDonald first sculpted the dancer’s body unadorned, so he could convey the movement inherent in the pose, before adding the swirl of the skirt. This study has an independent life as a work of art that closely reflects the accuracy of the artist’s eye, and the freedom of the dancer’s body.